Nineteen people have been arrested and 117 suspected victims of human trafficking identified at an alleged online scam centre in Sasaabi, near Accra, as part of an international operation led by the United States Department of Justice to dismantle transnational fraud networks. According to the department, authorities seized 303 electronic devices at the facility, while the 117 victims, identified as Nigerian nationals, were awaiting repatriation.
The arrests formed part of a coordinated international crackdown on scam centres across West Africa, resulting in 28 arrests in Ghana and Nigeria, the seizure of electronic devices and the disruption of millions of fraudulent online accounts. In Ghana, the operation was led by the Cyber Security Authority (CSA), the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service and the National Security Service, with support from the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The US Department of Justice also reported that investigators identified 89 victims of online fraud linked to the Ghana operation, with estimated financial losses of approximately $8.3 million. Separately, the department disclosed that enforcement actions were carried out at six locations during the last week of September, leading to additional arrests, the identification of 34 trafficking victims and the seizure of 129 electronic devices.
The broader initiative, dubbed Joint Disruption Week, brought together law enforcement agencies and private-sector technology companies across several countries to identify and dismantle criminal networks involved in online fraud. As part of the operation, participating technology companies removed more than 3.7 million accounts, pages and groups linked to fraudulent activities targeting individuals in the United States, the United Kingdom and other countries.
The companies also provided law enforcement agencies with information on more than 30 suspected scam centres and helped identify over $11 million in funds that could potentially be frozen. The criminal schemes targeted by the operation included cryptocurrency investment fraud, impersonation scams and online extortion. In some cases, suspects allegedly posed as law enforcement officials to intimidate victims into making payments.
In Nigeria, authorities arrested nine people and seized 53 electronic devices during the enforcement exercise. The international operation involved law enforcement agencies from Ghana, Nigeria, the United States and the United Kingdom, alongside international organisations and private-sector partners.
The Cyber Security Authority had earlier clarified that Ghanaian institutions led the enforcement activities within the country, while foreign agencies provided support. The clarification followed public reports that raised questions about the respective roles of the agencies involved.
The US Department of Justice said the initiative was aimed at strengthening collaboration between law enforcement authorities and technology companies to disrupt scam networks, identify victims and bring those responsible for transnational fraud to justice.
