EOCO Rescues 26 Victims in QNET-Linked Human Trafficking Operation

The Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) has rescued twenty-six (26) victims and arrested nine (9) suspects in a major anti-human trafficking operation linked to the QNET Company.

The operation, codenamed “Operation Quest,” was carried out on Friday, October 17, 2025, around 10:30 a.m. by EOCO’s Anti-Human Trafficking Unit. It followed intelligence suggesting that both Ghanaians and foreign nationals had been trafficked under the pretense of being offered employment opportunities with QNET, a company known for trading in wellness and lifestyle products.

According to EOCO, the suspects include two Ivorians and seven Ghanaians, while the rescued victims comprise ten Ivorians and sixteen Ghanaians. All nine suspects are currently in EOCO’s custody to assist with ongoing investigations.

The Office cautioned the public to be wary of individuals and groups who claim to be agents of QNET and promise lucrative job offers either in Ghana or abroad. EOCO emphasized that such schemes are often used to exploit unsuspecting people.

EOCO further recalled that in July 2025, it signed a joint Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with QNET to intensify efforts to clamp down on criminal networks using the company’s name for trafficking and fraudulent activities.

The statement, signed by Faustina Lartey, Head of Public Affairs at EOCO, reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to combating human trafficking and urged the public to report any suspicious recruitment offers.

Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has pleaded not guilty to all seven charges brought against him and four others over alleged illegal mining activities in the Tano Nimire Forest Reserve at Samreboi in the Western Region.

His plea was entered on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, at the Accra High Court, just hours after he appeared in a separate case earlier in the day, where he was placed on a stop list and granted GH₵15 million bail for six other mining-related offences.

Chairman Wontumi appeared in court alongside officials of Akonta Mining Company Limited and other associates accused of engaging in unauthorised mining operations and environmental destruction within a protected forest reserve. The prosecution alleges that their activities resulted in the destruction of approximately 13 hectares of land in the Tano Nimire Forest.

After hearing arguments from both the prosecution and defence, the court granted Wontumi bail in the sum of GH₵10 million with two sureties, one of whom must justify with landed property.

The case, filed by the Office of the Attorney-General, involves offences under the Minerals and Mining Act, the Forest Protection Act, and the Criminal Offences Act. The accused persons are alleged to have conducted illegal mining operations, felled trees, and erected structures within the forest reserve without the necessary permits.

Details of the Charges:

1. Undertaking Mining Without Licence:

Akonta Mining Company Limited allegedly operated a mining concession at Samreboi in 2022 without a valid licence from the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, contrary to Section 99(2)(a) of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), as amended by Act 995.

2. Undertaking Mining Without Licence:

Chairman Wontumi and one Kwame Antwi (currently at large) are accused of conducting mining operations as owners and directors of Akonta Mining Company Limited within the Tano Nimire Forest Reserve without authorisation.

3. Undertaking Mining Without Licence:

The company’s General Manager, Edward Akuoku, and Operations Manager, Kwadwo Owusu Bempah (alias Sly, at large), are also accused of unlawfully operating within the reserve.

4. Felling Trees Without Authority:

Akonta Mining Company Limited allegedly felled over 300 merchantable trees and several saplings without written authorisation, contrary to the Forest Protection Act, 1974 (NRCD 243).

5. Abetment of Unauthorised Felling of Trees:

Chairman Wontumi and three others allegedly aided the unlawful felling of trees in violation of the Forest Protection Act and Section 20(1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).

6. Erecting Buildings Without Permission:

The company is further accused of constructing buildings and other structures in the forest reserve without approval, contrary to the Forest Protection Act.

7. Abetment of Unauthorised Construction:

Wontumi and his co-accused allegedly facilitated the unauthorised erection of structures within the forest reserve without permission from the forestry authorities.

Chairman Wontumi, who had earlier been granted GH₵1 million bail in a related case, has met all bail conditions and was released pending trial.

The Central East Regional Police Command has arrested a 35-year-old man, Benjamin Owusu, for allegedly faking a robbery and kidnapping incident at Fijai, a suburb of Millennium City near Kasoa in the Central Region.

Initially treated as a victim, Owusu is now in police custody after investigations revealed he fabricated the incident to conceal missing funds belonging to his employer.

According to police reports, Owusu called authorities around 3 a.m. on September 3, 2025, claiming he was under attack at his residence. When officers arrived, he was nowhere to be found, but bloodstains were discovered in his bedroom. Forensic analysis later confirmed the blood was not human.

Further investigations uncovered that Owusu had killed a duck to stage the crime scene and abandoned the SIM card he used to send distress messages before fleeing. He was later tracked to Elubo in the Western Region and eventually arrested at his hideout in Akatamanso, Ashanti Region, on September 24, 2025.

Police say Owusu has confessed to orchestrating the false report because he could not account for his employer’s money. He is being prepared for prosecution.