Over 700 Ghanaians trafficked to Côte d’Ivoire, other West African countries in QNET scam

The Government of Ghana has initiated a joint operation with immigration officials in Côte d’Ivoire to secure the release and return of more than 200 Ghanaians who are being held in isolated locations within the country.

According to official reports, more than 700 Ghanaians are currently being held against their will across Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Benin, and Togo, after falling victim to fraudulent schemes linked to QNET Group.

The victims were misled by QNET operatives who promised to assist them in obtaining visas and travel documents, purportedly for transit through West African countries en route to destinations including France, Canada, Belgium, and Qatar. Instead, they found themselves stranded and in captivity.

Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, revealed these details on the floor of Parliament on Wednesday in response to an urgent inquiry from Kwaku Buah, Member of Parliament for Pru East. The question centered on what actions the government was taking to aid Ghanaians trafficked to Côte d’Ivoire by the QNET network.

Mr Ablakwa disclosed that the government has already facilitated the rescue and return of 400 trafficked Ghanaians from Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Benin, and Togo since 2021. However, he added that more than 500 Ghanaians mostly aged between 20 and 40 are still trapped in Côte d’Ivoire, with another 202 being held in Nigeria.

He noted that these individuals were coerced into paying sums ranging between GH¢18,000 and GH¢35,000, and in some instances GH¢30,000 to GH¢40,000, under the belief that QNET was arranging legitimate travel opportunities. 

“The victims paid between GH¢18,000 and GH¢35,000 and GH¢30,000 and GH¢40,000 to the QNET scammers with the promise of processing their travel documents in the West African country and using Côte d’Ivoire as a transit to Europe, North America and Asia countries,” Mr Ablakwa said.

Efforts are ongoing through Ghana’s diplomatic missions in the affected countries. These embassies are working with local immigration officials and INTERPOL to track down the fraudsters and extend consular support to the affected individuals. 

“The Ghanaian embassies and diplomatic missions in those countries are providing consular services to the victims,” the Minister added.

In a bid to prevent further incidents, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will, from September, partner with the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) to launch a nationwide campaign to educate the public on the dangers of QNET’s deceptive operations.

Despite the scale of the scheme, Mr Ablakwa confirmed that no suspects have yet been arrested and encouraged the public to report any relevant information to assist with ongoing investigations.

 “So far, no arrest had been made regarding the scammers involved in the fraudulent scheme,” he said, calling for cooperation from the public.