Half Assini: Man arrested for child trafficking, 16 children rescued
The children, ages between seven and 20 were allegedly being trafficked to Côte d'Ivoire to engage in fishing
Half Assini: Man arrested for child trafficking, 16 children rescued
A 37-year-old man, Kwame Tawiah, has been arrested at Half Assini New Town border post in the Jomoro Municipality of the Western Region for allegedly trafficking 16 children.
The children, ages between seven and 20 were allegedly being trafficked to Côte d’Ivoire to engage in fishing. They include 11 girls and five boys.
The officer in charge of the Half Assini Command of the Ghana Immigration Service, ACI Kenneth Arhinful speaking with Angel Fm reporter, Kwame Owusu Asante Shadrack said, enforcement officers received intelligence from two customs officers that the suspect was leading children through an unapproved route to cross the border.
The officers quickly intercepted them and marched them to New Town border post in Half Assini for official identification and interrogation.
They also discovered that all the victims hail from Central Region coastal towns such as Biriwa, Apam, Dogo, etc.
The interrogation also revealed the suspect had consent from the parents of some of the victims and have coached them to lie about their ages.
The suspect has been handed over to the police in Half Assini for further investigation whilst the victims have been sent to the Social Welfare Department for further action.
-Isaac Hughes
