EOCO arrests 320 people in Kumasi QNET fraud raid

The Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) has announced the arrest of 320 people in Kumasi following a major anti-fraud and human trafficking operation linked to the QNET network.

In a statement signed by the Head of Public Affairs for the Executive Director, EOCO said the arrests mark a significant breakthrough in its efforts to combat human trafficking and economic crime in Ghana. The operation was conducted by EOCO’s Anti-Human Trafficking Unit, which carried out two simultaneous operations at separate locations in Kumasi.

According to EOCO, initial assessments indicate that 25 of the 320 individuals are potential suspects, while the remaining 295 are believed to be victims of human trafficking and employment scams perpetrated under the guise of QNET.

The statement noted that the operations were the result of meticulous investigations conducted by EOCO over several months, demonstrating its commitment to detecting, investigating, and prosecuting economic and organised crime. It added that both suspects and victims are currently undergoing screening, and the 25 suspects will be subjected to further investigations.

EOCO described the Kumasi operation as the largest anti-human trafficking exercise ever undertaken by the Office, following a similar raid two weeks earlier that led to the arrest of over 26 persons in Kasoa.

The Office stated that it is working closely with QNET to clamp down on the misuse of the company’s brand name to traffic and defraud innocent individuals. EOCO commended QNET for its cooperation in tackling the problem and expressed confidence that the collaboration would help bring the perpetrators to justice.

“EOCO is working closely with QNET to clamp down on the misuse of their brand name to traffic and defraud innocent individuals. We commend the collaborative efforts of QNET in this regard and look forward to continued cooperation to bring perpetrators to justice,” the statement said.

EOCO reaffirmed its commitment to fighting economic and organized crime in Ghana and urged members of the public to report any suspicious activities to its offices.