Officials of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) have arrested 25 suspects and rescued 295 victims in connection with an alleged human trafficking and recruitment scam by QNET operating in parts of the Ashanti Region.
The operation, which took place at separate locations in Kenyasi (Kwabre East Municipality) and Buoho in the Afigya South District, led to the rounding up of 320 individuals believed to be linked to a fraudulent scheme disguised as a QNET business opportunity.
Following thorough screening, EOCO identified 295 of those apprehended as victims who had been deceived with false promises of employment, education, and travel opportunities.
The remaining 25 individuals—suspected recruiters—were arrested for allegedly luring the victims into the scam while posing as QNET representatives.
According to Staff Officer Dominic Mensah, Head of the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit at EOCO, arrangements are underway to provide temporary shelter for the victims as authorities work to reunite them with their families.
Meanwhile, Theodocia Naana Bennieh Quartey, Head of Compliance at QNET, expressed deep concern over the persistent misuse of the company’s name in fraudulent operations.
She noted that QNET is intensifying its collaboration with security agencies to identify and prosecute individuals who exploit the company’s reputation to perpetrate scams.
EOCO has reiterated its commitment to combating human trafficking and related financial crimes, urging the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious recruitment activities.
In July 2025, the government collaborated with the Ivorian immigration authorities to rescue and repatriate over 200 Ghanaians, who were held in secluded places in the Ivory Coast.
Currently, over 700 Ghanaians are held hostage in Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Benin, and Togo after being scammed by QNET Group’s activities.
The victims were lured to Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria and other West African States by QNET Group, who scammed them under the pretext of processing their visas and other travelling documents in the West African countries, and used those countries as transit to their final destinations in France, Canada, Belgium and Qatar.
Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, made this known on the floor of Parliament when responding to an urgent question posed by Mr Kwaku Buah, the Member of Parliament for Pru East, on measures the government was undertaking to rescue and repatriate Ghanaians trafficked to Cote d’Ivoire by QNET Group.
Ablakwa said, so far, the government had successfully rescued and repatriated 400 Ghanaians who were trafficked to Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Benin and Togo since 2021 to date.
He said, currently, there were over 500 Ghanaians between 20 and 40 years old held hostage in Cote d’Ivoire and 202 in Nigeria.
The victims paid between GHc18,000 and GHc35,000 and GHc30,000 and GHc40,000 to the QNET scammers with the promise of processing their travel documents in the West African country and using Cote d’Ivoire as a transit to Europe, North America and Asia countries, the Minister stated.
