The Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of the Ghana Police Service has warned that anyone found to be involved with the Trafficking of Persons could spent up to 25years in prison.
Also, parents who release their wards to become victims of child labour and exploitation ”knowingly” could also be prosecuted under Section three (3) of the Human Trafficking Act 694.
Director of the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of the Ghana Police Service, Superintendent Mike Baah disclosed this in an exclusive interview with Rebecca Ekpe.
Speaking more on why Ghana chose Yeji in the Bono East Region to mark this year’s International Day Against Trafficking in Persons, Superintendent Baah said ”there is evidence to the fact that children are trafficked from coastal towns in Cape Coast and sent to Yeji to be exploited. Not only Yeji, Kpando, Volta Region and other places especially coastal towns”.
Supporting facts that Yeji is prone to trafficking, Superintendent Baah gave an instance of a case this year where a 14 year-old boy who was about to go to Senior High School, (SHS), was trafficked from one of the towns in the Central Region, sold to a boat master for One thousand Ghana Cedis (GH₵ 1,000), who later sent him to Yeji.
“Unfortunately the child got drowned and died, and the case is before court in the Central Region, so the 14 year old boy died for nothing, a child who was about to go to SHS, and that is not the only case we have recorded, that is why we have identified Yeji as a problem area”, said Superintendent Mike Baah.
Police Officers, NGO’s Opinion Leaders, Civil Society, Market Women, Traditional Authority among others would be sensitized Superintendent Baah said, ”so that they don’t even interfere in the first place when such cases are reported and perpetrators are being dealt with.
BY Rebecca Ekpe
