Suspected human traffickers granted bail

The Asokore-Mampong District court has granted a GHc 100,000 bail with a surety each, to two men suspected to be behind the trafficking of foreigners into the country.

They were said to traffic the foreigners in the country to beg for alms on the streets in major towns.
Basiru Huseini 28, described as an agent, and his accomplice, Zakari Musah 32, driver; and both Nigeriens, were ordered to also ensure that their sureties were staff of the Nigerien consulate in Ghana.

They were charged with conspiracy to commit crime, to wit, human trafficking, contrary to Section 23 (1) of the criminal offences Act 1960, Act 29, Section two of the human trafficking Act 694/2005, as amended by Act 724/2005 and human trafficking Act 694/2005 as amended.

They will reappear before the court presided over by Mr Samuel Buabin Quansah, on March 16, this year.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Mr Kofi Blagodzi, prosecuting, told the court to give the police ample time to conduct thorough investigations into the matter.

On February 13, 2023, a car with Nigerien registration number Rn BD 1752 NY was spotted around the Asawase Cluster of Schools carrying 32 passengers, including 20 men, eight women and four children, between the ages of four and seven.

They were said to be seeking shelter in an open space at the school for three days, resulting in open defecation and other unhygienic practices in the school.

Officials of the Asokore-Mampong municipal assembly after receiving the information and became sure of their nationality informed the Nigerien consulate in Kumasi of the situation of their nationals who appeared stranded on the school campus.

The Airport police command was informed, and they succeeded in arresting the driver of the vehicle and the ‘agent.’

Although the passengers insisted before the police that, they were transiting to La Côte d’Ivoire from Niger, the driver and the “agent” said Ghana was the destination.

The 32 passengers had since been sent back to Niger through the assistance of the Niger consulate in Kumasi.

It would be recalled that the Ghana News Agency on February 2, 2023, published a story captioned “Repatriated foreign beggars return to Kumasi streets.”