International police cooperation helps recover $70,000, rescue four Ghanaian children – CID boss 

The Ghana Police Service has recovered about US$70,000 from financial losses linked to cybercrime through international police cooperation, Commissioner of Police Lydia Yaako Donkor, Director-General of the CID, has disclosed.

The collaboration has also contributed to the arrest of suspects, seizure of hundreds of electronic devices and the rescue of four Ghanaian children from suspected exploitation.

The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) said these outcomes demonstrate the growing importance of cross-border cooperation in tackling transnational organised crime.

COP Donkor made the disclosure on Monday, September 7, in a statement marking the United Nations International Day of Police Cooperation.

“The outcome of these operations testify that international cooperation does not simply exchange information; but when properly used, information becomes intelligence; intelligence becomes action; and action can protect victims and recover their money,” the CID boss said.

She said Ghana’s participation in Operation Contender 3.0, an INTERPOL-coordinated operation against romance scams and sextortion conducted across 14 African countries in August 2025, led to the arrest of 68 suspects.

The operation also resulted in the seizure of 835 electronic devices and the identification of 108 victims.

Investigations established that the victims suffered financial losses of approximately US$450,000, out of which about US$70,000 was recovered.

COP Donkor said another INTERPOL-coordinated operation, Operation Sentinel, conducted across 19 African countries between October and November 2025, also yielded significant results.

The operation helped identify the ransomware strain used to attack a Ghanaian institution, from which more than US$120,000 was stolen.

Nearly 30 terabytes of data were recovered and the perpetrators were arrested, she said.

Beyond financial recoveries, COP Donkor said international cooperation had also played a critical role in protecting vulnerable persons.

She disclosed that collaboration with Australian authorities in January 2026 led to the arrest of three suspects and the rescue of four Ghanaian children between six and 13 years in the Ashanti and Bono Regions.