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Woman arrested in Ghana over attempt to traffic child to Kenya
A section of the Accra International Airport.
What you need to know:
- The police did not clarify whether Kenya was the intended final destination or a transit point.
- The victim has since been reunited with her father, while the suspect appeared before the Odumase-Krobo Circuit Court on Monday, where she pleaded not guilty.
Ghanaian police have arrested a woman accused of attempting to traffic a minor from Ghana to Kenya.
The Ghana Police Service in a statement said the 36-year-old Ghanaian woman was intercepted at Accra International Airport, and the nine-year-old girl rescued before she could be moved across borders, in what is believed to be part of a wider human trafficking network.
In a statement issued by the Police Public Affairs Unit, investigators said Regina Mamle Tawiah was tracked to the airport following a report from the girl’s father, who alerted authorities on Sunday, April 19, after his daughter failed to return home from Agormanya Zongo in the Odumase-Krobo District.
Police said officers from the district, working with personnel from the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) at the airport, foiled the crime.
“Following investigations and intelligence, officers… arrested suspect Regina Mamle Tawiah, aged 36, and rescued the victim at the Accra International Airport,” the statement, signed by Chief Inspector Bridget Opoku, said, adding that preliminary findings indicated the girl was being sent to Kenya.
The police did not clarify whether Kenya was the intended final destination or a transit point.
The victim has since been reunited with her father.
Tawiah appeared before the Odumase-Krobo Circuit Court on Monday, where she pleaded not guilty. She has been remanded into police custody and is expected to return to court on May 5, 2026, for a case management conference.
Human trafficking remains a persistent concern across parts of West and East Africa, with vulnerable children often targeted for exploitation, forced labour, or other forms of abuse.
Each year, the United States Department of State publishes its Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report, which assesses and ranks governments on their efforts to combat forced labour, sex trafficking and modern slavery.
In the 2025 report, Brazil and South Africa were downgraded to the Tier 2 Watch List, raising concerns over weakening anti-trafficking efforts. Kenya retained its Tier 2 status, a ranking that signals continued progress, but also underscores significant gaps that still need urgent attention.
Security agencies in the region have increasingly stepped up cross-border cooperation to disrupt trafficking routes, particularly those linking West African countries to destinations in East Africa and beyond.
In recent years, Ghanaian authorities have reported multiple cases involving attempted child trafficking, prompting tighter surveillance at border points and closer collaboration with international partners. Investigations into the latest case are ongoing, with police working to determine whether the suspect acted alone or as part of an organised network.
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