Police bust sex trafficking ring in Koforidua, arrest 15 women and complicit landlords
10th February 2026
The New Juaben South Municipal Police Command has arrested 15 females, aged between 15 and 35, in a major crackdown on human trafficking and commercial sex-related offences in the municipality.
The arrests followed a distress complaint from a commercial sex worker who alleged that she was physically abused by her trafficker and boyfriend after failing to meet a daily sales target imposed on her.
The report prompted swift police action, leading to a targeted operation across suspected hotspots.
According to police investigations, some landlords were also picked up for allegedly converting their residential properties into makeshift brothels.
These landlords are accused of charging the women GH¢25 per day to use the rooms for prostitution.
Briefing journalists at the Central Police Station in Koforidua on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, the New Juaben South Municipal Police Commander, Superintendent Ransford Nsiah, warned property owners against facilitating prostitution and human trafficking, stressing that the police would not hesitate to apply the full rigours of the law.
He disclosed that the initial complaint came from a Nigerian woman who claimed she had been assaulted by her “queen mother” — a term commonly used to describe the individual controlling the sex workers — after she failed to meet a daily target of GH¢400.
“Last Sunday, we received a complaint from a Nigerian lady who was assaulted by her so-called queen mother because she could not meet the daily target of GH¢400,” Superintendent Nsiah stated.
“During our operations, we also arrested a man who constructed a building and converted it into a brothel where these women were staying. He charges them GH¢25 per day.”
He added that a total of 15 individuals, including minors, are currently in custody and will be arraigned before court immediately.
The Municipal Crime Officer, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Asante Kusi Augustine, expressed deep concern about the involvement of underage girls, particularly those as young as 15, in commercial sex activities.
Describing the situation as troubling, ASP Augustine appealed to the public to assist law enforcement agencies by providing credible information that could help dismantle trafficking networks operating within the municipality and beyond.
Police say investigations are ongoing, and further arrests are expected as efforts intensify to combat prostitution-related offences and protect vulnerable persons from exploitation.