Ghana immigration service intercepts seven trafficked girls

Crime & Punishment of Saturday, July 20th, 2019

Source: ghananewsagency.org

2019-07-20

The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) of Kotoka International Airport (KIA) intercepted six girls and a woman being trafficked in the Gulf States. The six girls aged 21 to 22, from the Bono, Ashanti, North and Volta regions, were to travel to Lebanon aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight.

The 26-year-old woman (unpublished name) is from Egbazo, Nzima, Jomoro District, Western Region. A formal statement signed by ACI, Barbara Sam, KIA's GIS Public Relations Officer, and a copy of the GNA, indicated that the girls were suspected of being trafficked and appeared to be more young people than their presumed age on their pbadports.

According to the statement, they were unable to tell their purpose of traveling or their final destination, with the exception of one of them, who stated that she was traveling to the city. outside the country to work in a shop. According to the statement, the woman was spotted by a crying officer in the departures hall and escorted to the immigration anti-fraud unit for questioning.

She then revealed that she had been recruited by an Alberta, who then transferred her to another agent, Mina, in Accra, to facilitate her movements in the Gulf, she added. According to the woman, she was charged 7,500 GHC, but her family was able to raise 2,200 GHC by promising to pay the balance upon her arrival in the Gulf State.

"She further revealed that her family threatened her not to return home if she refused to travel to Lebanon." An in-depth review of her pbadport revealed that she had already been to Saudi Arabia.

ACI Edith Penelope Arhin, GIS Command Regional Commander KIA Command, recommended that parents take a keen interest in the well-being of their children, especially girls, as traveling abroad does not guarantee their future.

"Parents should beware of people who act as travel agents and who offer juicy to take their children abroad to improve their lives," she said. "With determination and hard work, they can succeed here in Ghana." She explained that the irony of the Gulf issue is that most girls return home with mental disorders, are sick or sometimes die on arrival.

She also advised young girls to pursue their educational goals and to learn a trade or apprenticeship.