Thirty-three girls and young women have been rescued from trafficking and sexual exploitation in a weekend operation, with survivors telling investigators they were allegedly made to pay up to GH¢20,000 to secure their freedom.

The operation was led by the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) of the Ghana Police Service, with support from child rights organisation Challenging Heights.

The survivors are currently receiving care, including medical attention, psychosocial support and shelter from the organisation.

Challenging Heights said some of those rescued are believed to be children, although several have been reluctant to disclose their ages because of the trauma and coercion they have experienced.

According to Challenging Heights, testimonies gathered from the survivors point to an organised commercial operation involving recruitment, transportation, supervision, financial targets and punishment.

President of the organisation, Dr James Kofi Annan, said the accounts have raised fresh concerns about the scale and sophistication of trafficking networks operating across borders.

“These girls paid their own way into Ghana and were then told to pay again for their own freedom. A young woman who is told she must pay GH¢20,000 to redeem her freedom. You are certainly selling her back to herself,” he said.

He warned that rescuing victims without dismantling the networks behind their exploitation could result in others being brought in to replace them.

“Thirty-three girls came out this weekend, and unless we reach the people at the top of this chain, all thirty-three will simply be replaced,” Dr Annan added.

Challenging Heights said the survivors reported paying their own transport and travel expenses, including money given to people who facilitated their journeys.

Upon arrival in Ghana, however, they were allegedly told they owed additional amounts—reaching as much as GH¢20,000—to secure their release.

The organisation said the women were allegedly compelled to engage in commercial sex to raise the money, with their earnings taken from them and daily financial targets imposed.

Challenging Heights says the accounts point to a trafficking network involving several specialised roles, including recruiters, transporters and individuals who allegedly supervise victims after their arrival.

The organisation also alleged that some immigration officials may have been compromised, a claim that would require investigation and verification by the relevant authorities.

It is therefore calling for stronger investigative and prosecutorial capacity to enable Ghanaian authorities to identify and prosecute those behind such networks.

The organisation also wants dedicated human trafficking courts established without further delay.

It welcomed an earlier announcement by Chief Justice Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie about plans to introduce specialised courts for cases including human trafficking and cross-border crime.

Challenging Heights is now calling for a clear implementation timetable and specialised training for judges handling trafficking and trauma-related cases.

The organisation is also demanding increased personnel and resources for the AHTU, the Ghana Immigration Service and specialised prosecution teams.

It wants investigators equipped with financial investigation and asset-tracing capabilities, digital forensic tools, online recruitment analysis and stronger intelligence-sharing mechanisms with Nigerian authorities.

Challenging Heights cited official figures showing that Ghana recorded 273 human trafficking investigations, 65 prosecutions and 25 convictions in 2024.

The organisation argues that while Ghana has legislation criminalising trafficking, the scale and sophistication of the networks require greater institutional capacity to identify perpetrators and follow the money behind the trade.

It is also calling for specialised, trauma-informed training for investigators and prosecutors and for any official complicity uncovered through investigations to be prosecuted.

The latest operation follows other interventions supported by Challenging Heights in 2026.

The organisation said it supported the rescue of 144 victims of trafficking and modern slavery during the first half of the year, including 42 children rescued from forced labour on Lake Volta and 102 Nigerian nationals.

It has also previously called for investigations into allegations of a cross-border baby-harvesting and baby-selling network based on accounts from survivors.

Challenging Heights stressed at the time that those allegations had not been independently verified but said the accounts were serious enough to warrant investigation.

Challenging Heights said it is ready to work with the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Human Trafficking Secretariat, Ghana Police Service, Ghana Immigration Service and Judicial Service, alongside civil society organisations, to combat trafficking.

The organisation has previously called for at least GH¢20 million to be allocated to agencies responsible for preventing, investigating and prosecuting trafficking.

It says sustained investment in victim protection, investigations and prosecutions will be necessary to dismantle trafficking networks and prevent rescued victims from being replaced by others.

Over the past two decades, Challenging Heights says it has supported the rescue of nearly 3,000 children and young people from trafficking and exploitation, alongside rehabilitation, reintegration and livelihood support.