By Priscilla Oye Ofori
Accra, July 11, GNA – The Government has intensified efforts to combat human trafficking with a capacity building session for law enforcement officers.
The session, organised by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection through the Human Trafficking Secretariat was part of activities towards the commemoration of the 2025 World Day against Human Trafficking.
It was to raise awareness on the human trafficking law as the Human Trafficking Act of 2005, Act 694 is 20 years this year.
The workshop brought together personnel from the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), Customs and Preventive Service (CEPS) and the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO).
Human Trafficking, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, is the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of people through force, fraud or deception, with the aim of exploiting them for profit.
The global theme for this year’s celebration is: “Leave No One Behind: Breaking Barriers, Building Bridges,” whilst the National theme is: “The Human Trafficking Law @ 20: The Journey so far in Ghana”.
Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, the Gender Minister, in a speech read on her behalf, said the workshop was hinged on the theme of leaving no one behind.
The theme also called for stronger cooperation, deeper understanding and the removal of all barriers that prevented effective victim identification, protection and justice.
Dr Lartey said law enforcement played a pivotal role on the front lines, hence, the training was designed to equip officers with the tools, knowledge, and sensitivity required to identify trafficking indicators, disrupt criminal networks, and uphold dignity of victims.
The Ministry, as part of its mandate, had over the years built capacities of some 1,750 law enforcement officers from the Ghana Police Servise, GIS, EOCO and the Customs Division of the Internal Revenue Authority.
She said some other institutions that had benefitted included 120 judges from the Circuit and Magistrate courts, 80 Social Workers, 120 Department of Cooperative Officers in cocoa growing areas, 140 Civil Aviation Officers, 52 tourism stakeholders and 400 refugees.
Dr Lartey said the initiative gave officers a deeper understanding of how to deal with cases of human trafficking leading to a significant increase in the number of prosecutions.
“The Ministry uses this opportunity to congratulate law enforcement officers for the prosecution and conviction of the 32-year-old Ghana based Nigerian woman to more than a 25 years imprisonment for multiple offences including human trafficking in May this year,” the Minister added.
She recounted how the Police, Anti Human Trafficking Unit together with Interpol, among other rescue missions, rescued 66 Ghanaians trafficked to Nigeria under false recruitment into football and other jobs.
The EOCO, Dr Lartey said, arrested 35 suspects and rescued over 219 trafficked victims exploited for forced labour and cybercrime into Ghana mainly from Nigeria and other West African countries this year.
Deputy Superintendent of Police William Ayaregah, the Director of the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit, Ghana Police Service, noted that the menace was linked to other organised crimes such as child prostitution, forced labour, drug trafficking and migrant smuggling.
He said it was imperative for stakeholders to strengthen their collaboration in the fight against human trafficking.
DSP Ayaregah said the Unit embarked on many joint operations with stakeholders including Non-Governmental Organisations and the Department of Social Welfare to rescue trafficked victims and prosecuted the offenders after thorough investigations.
GNA
Edited by Agnes Boye-Doe