By Emmanuel Gamson
Takoradi, April 2, GNA – The Western Regional Command of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) has arrested and repatriated 66 Ivorian nationals after being found to be living illegally in the country.
The suspects, 45 men and 21 women, aged between 19 and 54 years, who were repatriated within eight days, were arrested at their hideout within the Anaji Hills enclave of the Western Regional capital, Sekondi-Takoradi.
A statement issued and signed by Inspector Moses Manford Akakpo, the Western Regional Public Affairs Officer of the GIS, said at about 2200 hours on Wednesday, March 27, 2024, the officer in charge of the Intelligence Unit, Chief Superintendent Elijah Narh, led a team of officers from the Regional Command Headquarters to begin a spirited 24-hour operation resulting in the arrest of the said Ivorian nationals.
However, two of them, Bamba Ladja, 26, and Traore Yssouf, 21, had been detained to assist in the investigations.
It said they were believed to be recruited from towns such as Tanda, Agnibilekro, Bondougkou, Nianda, and Aboisso Abidjan to engage in cyber crimes and other suspected illegal activities.
Investigations revealed that they neither possessed a passport or any form of identification documents, which confirmed their illegal entry and residence status in the country, the statement noted.
It said: “ Further investigations revealed that, on Saturday, November 11, 2023, one Romio and Akwesi Daniel, Ghanaians, who have been identified as part of the syndicate involved in recruiting these unsuspecting Ivorians under the guise of operating an online business (QNET), approached the land lady, one madam Juliet Quayson.”
The statement added that a receipt retrieved from the suspects indicated that, Madam Quayson agreed to rent out her house at Anaji Hills at the cost of GHC24,000 for a period of two years.
It said the landlady in question failed to confirm the legality of the immigration status of those individuals, contrary to the Aliens Registration Regulation, 1974, L.I. 856.
The GIS Command encouraged Madam Quayson to avail herself for further investigations on the matter.
“The Western Regional Command of the Service, seizes this opportunity once again, to express its gratitude to all stakeholders, especially to the Anaji Hills residents association in this particular instance,” the statement said.
GNA