Seven suspects linked to separate child trafficking and child sexual exploitation cases have been arrested by the police.
In the meantime, the police are continuing with investigations to trace a missing five-year-old girl believed to have been trafficked through a criminal syndicate operating in Ghana.
Among those arrested is a midwife at a hospital at Osu in Accra, whom police suspect played a role in the illegal transfer of children within the trafficking network.
At a press briefing in Accra on Tuesday [May 12, 2026], the Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, Commissioner of Police Lydia Yaako Donkor said the case is linked to an international investigation involving the Australian Federal Police and Interpol.
According to her, intelligence received by Interpol Accra in January 2026 from Interpol Canberra and the Crimes Against Children Unit of the Interpol General Secretariat followed the arrest of a suspect in Australia in 2025.
She said investigations revealed that the Australian suspect had allegedly received child sexual abuse material from facilitators in Ghana and transferred money to them in exchange for the material, with all identified victims based in Ghana.
Relatives implicated in abuse case
COP Donkor said a joint operation involving Interpol Accra and the Child Digital Forensics and Cybercrime Unit led to arrests in the Ashanti and Bono regions.
Two suspects were arrested in the Ashanti Region, where police rescued two victims aged between seven and 13. Another suspect was later arrested in the Bono Region, leading to the rescue of two more children aged six and seven.
Police said two of the suspects were close relatives of the victims.
“Sadly, in the current case under investigation, the offenders are close relatives of the victims, specifically an older brother and a mother who ordinarily and under the law are responsible for the custody and care of the children,” COP Donkor stated.
All three suspects remain in custody assisting investigations, while the rescued children are receiving support from the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU), the Department of Social Welfare and the NGO Abuse Relief Corps.
COP Donkor reminded the public that child sexual abuse offences under Sections 621 A, B, C and D of the Cybersecurity Act, 2020 (Act 1038) carry penalties including fines, imprisonment of up to 10 years, or both.
“I want to caution the general public that the police is actively collaborating with international partners and all relevant stakeholders to combat this crime, which dehumanises victims, negatively affects their self-esteem, and places their future in jeopardy,” she said.
Midwife arrested in trafficking investigation
In a separate case, the CID announced a seventh arrest in an ongoing child trafficking investigation that began on April 10, 2026, after the Kasoa Divisional DOVVSU received a complaint about the disappearance of seven-year-old Khadija Karim.
Investigators said the child was allegedly lured by suspects under the pretext of taking her to see her biological mother.
Police said the girl was temporarily kept at another location before being returned to Kasoa and warned not to disclose what had happened. Khadija has since been rescued safely.
Further investigations uncovered two additional victims — a 10-month-old baby and a five-year-old girl — who were allegedly taken from their mother under the guise of offering care.
The infant was traced to the Ashanti Region, where police alleged the child had been sold to other suspects GH¢35,000. The baby has since been reunited with the parents.
The latest suspect arrested, identified by police as the midwife in charge of the maternity and labour ward at Trust Mother and Child Hospital in Osu.
Preliminary investigations suggest she allegedly received the seven-year-old child from suspect after paying GH¢20,000.
Police further allege that she later paid an additional GH¢35,000 to facilitate the transfer of the missing five-year-old girl to a couple believed to be living at Pokuase.
The child remains missing.
Police appeal for missing child
“The police have gathered intelligence suggesting that the syndicates have been involved in child trafficking activities for a considerable period,” COP Donkor said.
She appealed directly to the couple believed to be keeping the child to surrender her to the authorities.
“The Ghana Police Service is appealing to the couple holding the child in their custody at Pokuase near Kasoa to voluntarily hand over the child to the nearest police station or contact the police immediately to assist ongoing investigations,” she said.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
