The Ghana Police Service’s Criminal Investigation (CID) Anti-Trafficking Unit in the past two(2) years rescued at least 523 people, including 391 children, who have been trafficked across the country.
In the first quarter of this year 2022, 44 children were rescued.
The victims, between the ages of five and 17, were used on farms, fishing and child prostitution, among other things.
The director of the Ghana Police Service’s Criminal Investigation (CID) Anti-Trafficking Unit, Chief Superintendent (C/Supt) Mike Baah, disclosed this to Republic Press in Accra yesterday, explaining that 132 adults were also rescued, citing poverty and Deception as the main causes of human trafficking in the country.
He explained that as part of efforts to address the situation in the country, the unit will step up its public education and awareness programs about the negative impact on the country.
“We have identified the sources and beneficiary areas and we will increase our awareness and education about the negative impact of child trafficking on the country and intensify our collaboration with the Ministry of Equality, Children and Social Protection, the security authorities, the NGOs. and other stakeholders to minimize canker.
“The capacity of staff and other security agencies will be built on human trafficking issues and equipped with the best skills and knowledge to uncover such cases, and law enforcement will enforce the law to ensure offenders are not let off the hook, and around.” to serve as a deterrent to others,” C/Supt Baah suggested.
He emphasized the need to protect the rights of children in the country as some of the trafficking cases sometimes resulted in the death and maiming of children and the rescued children were taken to the shelter for protection while others were reunited with their families.
Additionally, C/Supt Baah explained further that some of the adults of other nationals who were trafficked for prostitution had been repatriated to their countries in collaboration with their respective Embassies.
He said suspects arrested within two years have been brought to justice and some have been sentenced to between 5 to 18 years, and warned parents not to sell their children for money, emphasising that “this practice is criminal and will be arrested if caught and prosecuted if you, as a parent, are found to be complicit in human trafficking cases.”
C/Supt Baah called on the public and the media to be vigilant in their communities and to report such perpetrators to the police so that they act immediately and work with Anti- Human Trafficking Unit(AHTU) in their awareness and education campaign to stop such activities.
Human trafficking is a global phenomenon that, one way or another, affects each country in the world. Over the past few years, Ghana has been known to be a source, transit and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking.
