The Central North Regional Police Command has apprehended 42 individuals involved in prostitution and drug-related crimes in Ayamfuri, located in the Central Region.
Among those arrested are 32 Nigerian women suspected of prostitution and 10 Ghanaian men believed to be engaged in drug trafficking.
DCOP Abraham Acqaye, the Central North Police Commander, stated that some suspects were detained during operations targeting identified hotspots, while others were caught in the act.
The accused persons, aged between 20 and 32, were found with various items, including quantities of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp, concoctions believed to be laced with Indian hemp, condoms, and cigarettes.
During preliminary questioning, some suspects alleged that they were victims of human trafficking. They reported being misled with promises of legitimate jobs, but were ultimately forced into prostitution after arriving.
Others indicated they worked under harsh conditions to pay off debts to their traffickers, who demanded substantial amounts of money for their release.
Police investigations are currently ongoing.
This comes after two Nigerians were remanded into police custody by a Circuit Court in Accra for allegedly forcing some young girls into prostitution by trafficking them from Nigeria to Ghana under the guise of providing them with jobs.
Court documents indicate that Chidemma Nweke, aka Mama, 24, a sex worker, and Mery Francis, aka Gina, aka Blessing, a 27-year-old trader, harboured the victims at a brothel at Wassa Akropong in the Western North Region and forced them into prostitution and collected the proceeds.
The documents further state that a total of seven girls have been rescued from the brothel where they were kept by their traffickers and were being used as sex workers.
Mery Francis has been charged with two counts of human trafficking and one count of abetment of human trafficking, while Chidemma Nweke is facing one count of human trafficking.
The two pleaded not guilty when they made their appearance before the court on April 15, 2025.