Fifty-two foreign nationals have been arrested by National Security operatives in the Northern Region over their alleged involvement in crimes, including human trafficking, cybercrime, and Ponzi schemes.

The suspects comprise 12 Ivorians, two Liberians, and 31 nationals from Burkina Faso. An additional seven suspects were later arrested at Fou, a community in the Sagnarigu Municipality, bringing the total number to 52.

Authorities say the suspects are currently being processed and will be handed over to the Ghana Immigration Service for further action.

The arrests, according to National Security, form part of intensified efforts to clamp down on cross-border and organised crime in the Northern Region.

Officials have assured residents that security agencies remain firmly on top of the situation and that the region is safe.

Speaking to JoyNews’ Martina Bugri, the Northern Regional Security Liaison Officer, RSM Adam Mohammed, disclosed that preliminary profiling revealed that many of the suspects were lured into Ghana under false promises of traveling to Europe.

“We tried to run a profile of each and every one of them, and we realised that some of them had been lured into the country with the hope that they would be taken abroad,” he said.

“They promised them, and some too were brought in to practise the QNET recruitment scheme. So upon interrogation, we were able to have a breakdown of the activities of each and every one of them.”

RSM Mohammed explained that investigations have uncovered a wider criminal network and that those arrested so far represent only part of the operation.

“Upon thorough interrogation and profiling, we realised that it’s a chain. Those that we have arrested are basically about 45, but they are more than that,” he noted.

“We are digging into getting the rest, and very soon, the assurance can be given to the general public that we will get hold of them.”

However, one of the suspects who spoke to JoyNews denied any wrongdoing, claiming the arrests were unjustified.

“I don’t know why I was arrested. They just suddenly showed up on us. I asked why they brought us here. We sell products. We are not involved in a scam or any other criminal activity. We were just marketing our products,” the suspect said.

The suspect explained that language diversity among the group was purely for business purposes.

“Most of the people here don’t understand us, so we try to speak different languages so they understand what we are selling. Some speak French, others speak English,” the suspect added.

“We have been doing this in Côte d’Ivoire. I speak a little English and I am also eager to learn the language. That is what motivated me to come here for business.”