The International Police Agency, Interpol, in collaboration with Ghana and its neighboring country, Côte d'Ivoire, has dismantled a human trafficking ring targeting vulnerable individuals through a joint operation.

A total of 33 victims, lured through deceptive means, have since been rescued. They hail from various countries, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Togo, and Ghana.

The suspects' modus operandi involved targeting unsuspecting victims and vulnerable individuals by promising them lucrative job offers and travel opportunities in Canada, DW Africa reports.

Additionally, the victims, who are reported to have paid up to $9,000 to their traffickers under the false promise of securing a job in Canada, traveled to meet their recruiters, only to be trafficked into Abidjan in Côte d'Ivoire.

The victims are said to have been held captive under ‘physical and psychological coercion’ as well as forcibly made to take pictures of themselves in high end restaurants and hotels.

Once the photos were taken, the victims were instructed to post them online, pretending to be living prosperous lives in Canada. This was done to avoid drawing attention to themselves or revealing the traffickers' activities.

The raids are reported to have been initially carried out by law enforcement authorities in February, leading to the arrests of the traffickers. Authorities became aware of the traffickers' operations when two Ghanaian victims fell for the scam and were trafficked.

Their father, suspecting foul play, lodged a complaint with the police in Ghana. This prompted an investigation, which ultimately led to the raids on the traffickers' hideouts.

MAG/AE

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