33 suspected trafficked children rescued

About thirty three suspected trafficked children have been rescued by the Eastern Regional Office of the Anti-Trafficking Unit of the Ghana Police Service at Bunso. 

The children between the ages of 6 and 22 were suspected of being trafficked to Yeji for fishing and other farming activities. 

Briefing the media, the Eastern Regional Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Yaw Nketia Yeboah, said the police acted upon a tip-off by an informant and with the help of an NGO, Challenging Height, the children were rescued. 

During interrogation, the children revealed that they are from Madina and Agbogbloshie in the Greater Accra Region, Adidome in the Volta Region and some parts of the Eastern Region. According to ASP Nketia- Yeboah almost all the children said they were going for school fees from their parents. 

This, he said, is unacceptable for children under such ages to travel alone to such a distance and therefore suspects foul play. 

He noted that the police are still on the ground since the region is mostly used as a route to traffic children to engage in hard labour. 

He said child trafficking is against the laws of the land therefore perpetrators will face the full rigours of the law. 

ASP Nketia-Yeboah appealed to the public to divulge information to the police on any suspected criminalities in their communities to be acted upon. 

The children are being screened to separate trafficked ones from those who were travelling genuinely.

GBC