The Director of the Anti-Trafficking Unit of the Ghana Police Service, Superintendent William Ayariga, has admonished Ghanaians to be on guard as human traffickers continue to devise new ways of operating.

Speaking to the media, on Thursday, October 22, Superintendent Ayariga said traffickers exploit the desperation of some Ghanaians to improve their living conditions.

According to him, travel abroad and romance scams are among the top tactics used by human traffickers in recent times. He added that traffickers gain the trust of their victims by pretending to be friends or romantic partners living abroad and promising to help them travel or secure jobs in foreign countries.

“Human trafficking as a crime is on the rise and a lot of people are falling victim. The perpetrators are using different models to lure unsuspecting Ghanaians into trafficking. They are using models such as romance scams and travel abroad scams.

“The travel abroad scams are on the increase. It is mostly carried out by friends and acquaintances. They will call and tell you that they are in Canada, the USA, Japan or France. They will tell you that the company they work with needs staff and so they will refer you to an agent and they will demand money.

“After paying the money, they are lured to other West African countries and all their documents are confiscated on arrival but we are working hard to stop it.”

The warning comes amid concerns over human trafficking involving Ghanaians, in May this year, the Foreign Affairs Ministry announced the rescue of twenty-eight (20) Ghanaians from a human trafficking syndicate in Côte d’Ivoire. The Ministry announced this in a formal notice dated Monday, May 11, citing that the recuse follows a high-level security operation carried out by the Ghana Embassy in Abidjan.

According to the Ministry, most of these victims were youth. The statement indicated that currently the victims have been transported to Ghana and are assisting with investigations in Ghana, after their rescue

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to inform the general public that twenty-eight (28) Ghanaian nationals, predominantly youth, who were victims of a sophisticated human trafficking network, have been rescued and repatriated to Ghana from Côte d'Ivoire, today, 10 (dh) May, 2026, after a successful operation conducted by security operatives and officials of the Embassy of Ghana in Abidjan.

The rescued human trafficking victims are safely in Ghana and currently assisting with further investigations”, the statement read.

It went on to commend the Ivorian security operatives for their swift action and collaboration in tracking these traffickers while advising Ghanaians to be extra cautious in order not to victims to such traffickers over pretenses in quest for greener pastures.

“Ghanaians are hereby advised to be extra vigilant and avoid becoming victims of such trafficking schemes.

The Ministry, therefore, urges the public to be conscious of the dangers associated with engaging unlicensed recruitment agencies which promise travel and job opportunities. The public is encouraged to confirm the validity of any advertisement/offer with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Labour, Jobs and Employment Relations and Ghana's diplomatic missions abroad to avoid falling prey”, the statement added.

The Foreign Affairs Minister also assured the public of the government’s commitment to ensuring the safety of all Ghanaians.