The Ningo-Prampram district has been identified by the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of the Ghana Police Service as a hotspot for child trafficking in the country.

According to an officer of the unit, Detective Chief Inspector Raymond Mwinsori, many children in the community have been trafficked into the fishing trade, forced marriages, sexual exploitation, etc.

Touching on the causes, the police mentioned that poverty and economic hardships have largely been used by parents as an excuse to traffick their wards, adding that the victims are mostly targetted through online platforms.

Internal trafficking of children remains a challenge in the country. Many Ghanaian children are trafficked from their home villages to work in the fishing industry.

They are exploited by desperate fishermen and are made to live in meagre conditions, working long hours every day under poor working conditions.

The police disclosed that last year, 11 children who were trafficked from the district were rescued and reunited with their families following an operation the unit embarked on.

As a result, the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit has organised a workshop to sensitize parents on the need to protect their wards from being trafficked.

Detective Chief Inspector Raymond Mwinsori at the workshop also charged traditional authorities to be proactive in dealing with the matter by liaising with the police, providing support for victims as well as educating community members as a way of empowering them with information on the phenomenon.