ACCRA, Oct. 24 (AGCNewsNet) — Police in Ghana rescued 57 Nigerians who were trafficked to the West African country and arrested five suspects believed to be running a cybercrime and human trafficking network, authorities said on Thursday.

The operation took place on Wednesday in a suburb of the capital, Accra, where officers raided a building housing the victims, aged between 18 and 26, according to a statement from the Ghana Police Service’s Criminal Investigations Department (CID).

The victims were allegedly forced to take part in online romance scams after being lured from Nigeria with promises of lucrative jobs and other opportunities in Ghana, the CID said.

“Upon arrival, the victims, aged between 18 and 26 years, were coerced into engaging in online romance scams and other heinous activities,” the police said in a statement.

During the raid, officers seized 77 laptops, 38 mobile phones, two vehicles, three television sets, and several internet-enabled devices, according to the CID.

The police said the rescued individuals were receiving “necessary care and support,” though it was not immediately clear when they would be repatriated to Nigeria.

Human trafficking for cybercrime and prostitution remains a persistent problem in Ghana, despite several police crackdowns. Ghana’s Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection reported earlier this year that 79 prosecutions and 54 convictions were recorded between 2023 and 2024 under the country’s human trafficking law.

Last month, Interpol said it coordinated a continent-wide crackdown on cybercrime, leading to the arrest of 260 suspects across 14 African countries for their roles in online romance and extortion scams.

The operation, conducted jointly with the Africa-focused policing body Afripol, targeted more than 1,400 victims who collectively lost around $2.8 million, according to Interpol.

Ghanaian authorities arrested 68 suspects during that operation, accusing them of using fake identities to trick victims into paying bogus shipment fees and recording explicit videos for blackmail.

Stay connected with AGC NewsNet for the latest news from Africa.