An intelligence-led swoop by the Weija Sector Command of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) has led to the arrest and detention of 11 foreign nationals in Tuba, a peri-urban settlement along the Accra-Kasoa highway.

Authorities caught the scammers in the act, where they were printing counterfeit money and running cyber fraud operations from their residential apartment.

This was announced in a statement shared by GIS.

The raid led by the Anti-Human Trafficking and Cyber Fraud Taskforce Unit on January 5 marks the authorities' intensified crackdown on illicit activities threatening national security.

During the raid, they seized critical evidence, including laptops, routers, mobile phones, bundles of fake US dollar notes, and tabletop printers or photocopier machines used in the execution of their illicit schemes.

Authorities are currently holding the suspects in custody as investigations continue to unravel the full scope of their criminal network. Their nationalities, however, remain undisclosed, authorities have said.

In a statement, the GIS commended the public for its unwavering support and called for heightened vigilance. Citizens are urged to report suspicious activities by foreigners in their communities promptly to law enforcement, fostering a collaborative front against crime.

They, however, warned landlords and property owners to exercise caution when renting houses to foreigners, citing Section 52(1)(b) of Ghana’s Immigration Act, 2000 (Act 573) which makes it an offence for any person to knowingly make or cause to be made to an immigration officer any false statement, representation, or concealment of material fact for the purpose of obtaining an entry permit, residence permit, or other immigration facility.

It noted that renting to people who are in the country illegally is against the law and comes with serious punishment.

The Comptroller-General of Immigration and Service Management said the Service is fully committed to protecting Ghana’s borders and strictly enforcing immigration laws, with no tolerance for anything that could threaten public safety.

Meanwhile, last year, GIS, Cyber Security Authority (CSA) and other authorities in charge of clamping down on illicit and illegal activities such as online fraud, money doubling schemes, among others, intensified their efforts, leading to several arrests.

In late December 2025, forty-eight (48) suspected cybercrime operatives were arrested in a coordinated intelligence-led operation in Dawhenya, Ningo-Prampram Constituency, on Wednesday, December 24.

The suspects, believed to be Nigerian nationals, include 46 males and two females.

They were accused of cyber-related criminal activities, including romance scams, online investment fraud, impersonation schemes, and illegal online gold trading.

Their apprehension follows a collaboration between the Cyber Security Authority (CSA), the National Security, and the Ghana Police Service.

54 laptops, 39 mobile phones, one Starlink internet device, and eight MTN TurboNet routers were seized during the operation. This information was made public by the Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovation, Sam George, through a Facebook post.

“Once again, we have struck at the heart of cybercrime operations within our beloved homeland,” Mr George said. “We are committed to carrying out intelligence-led surgical strikes against these crime syndicates to ensure that we rid our cyber ecosystem of these criminals,” he wrote.

In September, the Ministry for Communication, Digital Technology, and Innovations announced a decline in financial losses from cybercrime this year, despite rising online threats.

Speaking at the launch of the 2025 edition of the National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) on Wednesday at the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) Auditorium, Samuel Nartey George, disclosed that from January to June 2025, the country recorded GHS14.9 million in cybercrime compared to GHS23.3 million in the previous year.

Online scams, fraud, blackmail, and unauthorised access contribute to the majority of cybercrime-related financial losses in Ghana, according to the Minister. The Minister cited statistics from the Cyber Security Authority to support his disclosure.

The Minister added that the need for a safer and more accountable digital environment requires collective efforts.

“Statistics from the Cyber Security Authority indicate that Ghana recorded cybercrime-related financial losses of GHS 23.3 million in 2024 and GHS 14.9 million in the first half of 2025, mainly through online fraud, blackmail, and unauthorised access,” he stated.

This year’s campaign, themed “Building a Safe, Informed, and Accountable Digital Space,” focuses on countering misinformation, disinformation, and deepfake manipulation.

The Minister noted that Ghana’s internet penetration stood at 70 percent, with 24.3 million users and 7.95 million active social media identities, placing the country 15th globally in social media adoption. He cautioned that “the same connectivity that drives innovation also provides an avenue for exploitation by cybercriminals.”

Mr George disclosed that his Ministry was working to amend the Cybersecurity Act, 2020 (Act 1038) to strengthen regulations that balance innovation with user protection. He further commended the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) and the Cyber Security Authority (CSA) for recent joint operations, including a crackdown in Tema that led to 39 arrests, as well as earlier operations between May and July 2025 that netted 65 suspects linked to sophisticated fraud schemes.

“Let me sound a warning to those exploiting foreign nationals to perpetrate cyber fraud: we are on your trail, and we will bring you to justice,” he declared.

The Minister also underscored the role of the media in safeguarding Ghana’s digital ecosystem, urging journalists to raise awareness on issues such as cyberbullying, fraud, and online exploitation. “This campaign cannot succeed without your active participation,” he stressed.

Adding to the discussion, the Director-General of the Cyber Security Authority, Mr. Divine Selase Agbeti, highlighted the scale of the threat. Reported cyber incidents rose from 1,317 cases in the first half of 2024 to 2,008 cases in the same period this year.

Online fraud alone accounted for 36 percent of reported cases, cyberbullying for 25 percent, online blackmail for 14 percent, unauthorized access for 12 percent, and information disclosure for9 percent.

He noted that financial losses increased by 17 percent year-on-year, reaching GHS 14.9 million in the first half of 2025, with fraud and impersonation responsible for more than 94 percent of the figure.