The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), in a joint operation with the Ghana Police Service have significantly ramped up efforts to arrest undocumented foreign nationals and the landlords who provide them with accommodation.

As of March 2026, there has been a noticeable increase in joint operations resulting the arrest of hundreds of suspects.

Below are eight operations highlighting the scale of the crackdown:

1. March 12, 2026 – Cybercrime and trafficking bust

A joint operation by the Inspector General of Police’s (IGP) cyber vetting and enforcement team, the surveillance unit from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) headquarters and the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), led to the arrest of 12 foreign nationals suspected of being involved in organised cyber fraud and human trafficking-related activities.

The targeted operation, which took place on March 12, 2026, resulted in the seizure of the following suspected cybercrime tools: 25 laptop computers and seven mobile phones.

It was led by Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Malaika Jibril Alhassan, from the Police Headquarters and Superintendent Francis Baidoo from the Amasaman Sector Command of the GIS.

12 Nigerians nabbed as police, immigration dismantle online fraud ring

2. March 16, 2026 – Amansie West District raid

A joint security raid led by the Ghana Immigration Service and Ghana Police at Pakyi No. 1 and No. 2 resulted in the arrest of 28 foreign nationals and some landlords for breaching immigration laws.

3. March 10, 2026 – DEVTRACO estate

The GIS announced the arrest of 93 Nigerian nationals and the rescue of 73 victims of abuse in a major raid targeting a suspected cyber fraud syndicate.

4. January 5, 2026 (Tuba, Accra)

The Weija Sector Command of the GIS arrested 11 foreign nationals involved in counterfeiting and cyber fraud were rounded up and subsequently processed for court.

Reports indicate that the suspects were engaged in active printing of fake dollar bills.

5. July 24, 2025 (McCarthy Hills, Accra)

A special GIS operation, based on intelligence regarding illegal stays and forced cyber fraud, arrested approximately 50 Nigerian nationals and their landlord.

6. May 16, 2025 (Accra)

The GIS launched a major crackdown that led to the detention of 2,241 undocumented migrants suspected of being trafficked for street begging, according to security officials.

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7. April 2025 (Oyarifa, Accra)

A joint team including the Ghana Police and EOCO arrested 219 foreign nationals, including minors, in a raid targeting a cyber fraud ring.

8. July 2025

A landlord was arrested alongside 50 suspects in Accra.

Authorities are increasingly targeting landlords who knowingly accommodate undocumented migrants.

Arrests of landlords were recorded in both the July 2025 McCarthy Hills operation and the March 2026 Amansie West raid, signaling a shift toward holding facilitators accountable.

These operations underscore a growing nationwide effort to combat illegal migration, cybercrime, and human trafficking, with security agencies adopting more coordinated and intelligence-driven approaches.

MRA/VPO

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