Cybercrime crackdown: 48 arrested in coordinated intelligence-led operation

Forty-eight suspected cybercriminals, believed to be Nigerian nationals, including two women, have been arrested in a coordinated operation targeting online crime in Ghana.

The joint operation was led by the Cybersecurity Authority (CSA) in collaboration with National Security and the Ghana Police Service and took place at night on Wednesday, December 23, in the Dawhenya area of the Ningo-Prampram constituency.

In a social media post, the Minister for Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, said the suspects are linked to a range of cyber-related criminal activities, including romance scams, online investment fraud, impersonation schemes, and illicit online gold trading.

“Once again, we have struck at the heart of cybercrime operations within our beloved homeland,” the minister wrote.

Items seized during the operation included 54 laptops, 39 mobile phones, one Starlink internet device, and eight MTN TurboNet routers.

According to the minister, the arrests are part of Ghana’s ongoing commitment to maintaining a secure digital environment.

“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 said.

The minister further commended the professionalism of the security operatives involved for continuing to uphold the country's reputation for effective law enforcement.