Ghana has strengthened its fight against transnational organised crime through closer collaboration with INTERPOL and other international law-enforcement agencies, resulting in arrests, asset recoveries, victim rescues and the disruption of criminal networks operating across borders.

The Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, Commissioner of Police (COP) Lydia Yaako Donkor, said the results demonstrated the growing importance of international police cooperation as criminals increasingly exploit national borders to perpetrate crimes.

COP Donkor made the observation in a statement to commemorate the United Nations International Day of Police Cooperation, observed on Monday, September 7, 2026, on the theme: “Protecting Against Vulnerability; Building Trust and Legitimacy in Policing.”

She said the changing nature of crime had made cooperation among law-enforcement agencies across jurisdictions essential to protecting victims, recovering criminal assets and bringing perpetrators to justice.

INTERPOL operations yield arrests

COP Donkor cited Ghana’s participation in Operation Contender 3.0, an INTERPOL-coordinated operation against romance scams and sextortion conducted simultaneously across 14 African countries in August 2025.

She said the operation resulted in the arrest of 68 suspects, the seizure of 835 electronic devices and the identification of 108 victims.

Investigations established financial losses of approximately US$450,000, of which about US$70,000 was recovered.

She said Ghana also participated in Operation Sentinel, an INTERPOL-coordinated cybercrime operation conducted simultaneously across 19 African countries between October and November 2025.

The operation helped identify the ransomware strain used in an attack on a Ghanaian institution, resulting in the theft of more than US$120,000.

Nearly 30 terabytes of data were recovered and the perpetrators were arrested, COP Donkor said.

According to her, the figures represented more than statistics, as they translated into businesses protected, money recovered, digital infrastructure secured and criminal networks disrupted.

“Behind these figures were real victims; people whose trust had been manipulated through fake identities, stolen photographs, fraudulent relationships and threats of exposure,” she said.

Information turned into intelligence

COP Donkor said the success of the international operations demonstrated that police cooperation went beyond the mere exchange of information.

“When properly used, information becomes intelligence; intelligence becomes action; and action can protect victims and recover their money,” she said.

She said the 2026 theme should also compel law-enforcement agencies to look beyond financial losses and place the protection of vulnerable people at the centre of policing.

She cited an operation in January 2026 in which collaboration with Australian authorities led to the arrest of three suspects and the rescue of four Ghanaian children aged between six and 13 in the Ashanti and Bono regions.

“What price do we place on restoring a child’s safety, dignity and future?” she asked, stressing that rescuing a six-year-old child from exploitation was “priceless”.

“That is precisely why international police cooperation matters,” she added.

Ghana has been INTERPOL member since 1958

COP Donkor noted that Ghana had been a member of INTERPOL since 1958, with the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) in Accra serving as the country’s focal point for international police cooperation through the global law-enforcement network.

She said the country’s cooperation with INTERPOL and other international partners was also critical in tackling other forms of transnational organised crime, including vehicle-related crimes and firearms smuggling.

“As criminals attempt to exploit borders, law enforcement must continue to build bridges across them,” she said.

Speaking as both Director-General of the CID and a member of the INTERPOL Africa Committee, COP Donkor said criminal networks were becoming increasingly international and police cooperation therefore had to become equally global.

Criminals must lose advantage of borders

She said the Ghana Police Service, through the CID and INTERPOL NCB Accra, remained committed to working with INTERPOL, African partners and law-enforcement agencies worldwide to protect victims, disrupt criminal networks, recover criminal assets and pursue fugitives.

“When police services cooperated, criminals lost the advantage of borders,” she said, adding that information-sharing gave victims a greater chance of being found while joint investigations left criminals with fewer places to hide.

COP Donkor said Ghana’s message on the International Day of Police Cooperation was clear: “Our cooperation must not be limited by our borders.”

She said professional, accountable and trusted policing would ultimately contribute to stronger communities and safer societies.