Accra: 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 aimed to raise awareness on the human trafficking law, as the Human Trafficking Act of 2005, Act 694, marks its 20th anniversary this year.
According to Ghana News Agency, 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, as defined by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, involves 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', while 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, emphasized that the workshop was aligned with the theme of leaving no one behind. The theme calls for stronger cooperation, deeper understanding, and the removal of all barriers that prevent effective victim identification, protection, and justice. Dr Lartey highlighted the pivotal role of law enforcement on the front lines, noting that the training was designed to equip officers with the necessary tools, knowledge, and sensitivity to identify trafficking indicators, disrupt criminal networks, and uphold the dignity of victims.
The Ministry has a history of building capacities for law enforcement officers, having trained approximately 1,750 officers from the Ghana Police Service, GIS, EOCO, and the Customs Division of the Internal Revenue Authority. Other beneficiaries include 120 judges, 80 social workers, 120 Department of Cooperative Officers in cocoa-growing areas, 140 Civil Aviation Officers, 52 tourism stakeholders, and 400 refugees. Dr Lartey mentioned that this initiative has led to a significant increase in the number of prosecutions related to human trafficking cases.
The Minister acknowledged the efforts of law enforcement officers, particularly in the prosecution and conviction of a 32-year-old Ghana-based Nigerian woman to more than 25 years of imprisonment for multiple offences, including human trafficking, in May this year. She also recounted successful rescue missions, such as the Police Anti Human Trafficking Unit and Interpol's rescue of 66 Ghanaians trafficked to Nigeria under false recruitment pretenses.
Dr Lartey reported that EOCO had arrested 35 suspects and rescued over 219 trafficked victims exploited for forced labour and cybercrime in Ghana, mainly from Nigeria and other West African countries this year. Deputy Superintendent of Police William Ayaregah, Director of the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit, Ghana Police Service, noted that human trafficking is linked to other organised crimes such as child prostitution, forced labour, drug trafficking, and migrant smuggling. He emphasized the importance of strengthening collaboration among stakeholders in the fight against human trafficking. DSP Ayaregah highlighted the Unit's joint operations with stakeholders, including Non-Governmental Organisations and the Department of Social Welfare, to rescue trafficked victims and prosecute offenders after thorough investigations.
