Volta Region: 45 suspected trafficked children, young persons rescued by BNI, National Security officials

Some 45 children and young persons suspected to have been trafficked have been intercepted by security personnel in the Volta Region.

The suspected victims include 23 girls and 22 boys, aged between seven (7) to twenty (20).

Preliminary findings indicate that they were being transported from the Ada, Sege and Ningo areas to parts of the Oti region, onboard a Tata bus with registration number AS-804-14 when security personnel intercepted them.

The operation was led by officers from the Bureau of National Intelligence (BNI) in collaboration with National Security.

Four adults on board the bus have been arrested and handed over to the police in Ho.

According to BNI sources, the suspects claim they only picked the children as passengers.

But officials say their accounts were incoherent and require further investigation.

Meanwhile, the victims have been handed over to the Department of Social Welfare.

Wisdom Kojo Krakani, an official from the Ho Municipal Department of Social Welfare told TV3’s Faisel Abdul-Iddrisu that will they work with the relevant agencies to identify families of the victims.

“Per the standard operating procedures, social welfare is mandated to take custody of children in this situation and that is what we are here to do,” he said.

He urged the public to be vigilant and report any suspicious movement of children to the police or other relevant agencies.