Ghana Police CID Intensifies Crackdown on Violent Crime, Sexual Exploitation, and Internal Misconduct

The Ghana Police Service's Criminal Investigations Department (CID) has launched a series of high-profile operations and a nationwide campaign to combat a surge in violent crime and exploitation across the country. CID Director-General Lydia Yaako Donkor recently announced a major public education initiative aimed at protecting vulnerable citizens, specifically children, from abuse that is often driven by financial gain. This announcement comes as the Cyber Crime Unit apprehended 36-year-old businessman Joshua Kojo Anane Boateng in East Legon. Boateng is accused of operating a Telegram channel titled 'VIP Sleep Fetish 2025,' where he allegedly distributed explicit videos of female victims he had sedated with controlled substances like alprazolam. The suspect has been charged following a joint operation with the Bureau of National Investigations.

In addition to cyber-facilitated crimes, the police have made significant breakthroughs in two gruesome murder investigations. In the Central Region, the Homicide Unit arrested a 25-year-old fetish priest and herbalist for the murder and mutilation of 40-year-old trader Joyce Akua Ampongmaa. The suspect allegedly lured the victim under the guise of providing herbal treatment before dismembering her; his confession led to the recovery of her remains and the subsequent demolition of his shrine by angry locals. Simultaneously, the CID successfully extradited Wisdom Tetteh from Togo in connection with the murder of car dealer Yaw Osei Ashitey Amma. Tetteh is alleged to have killed the dealer during a fraudulent vehicle sale before burning the victim's body and car at the Legon bypass to conceal the evidence.

The police are also addressing a disturbing trend of child and teenage abuse involving community leaders and local residents. In the Ashanti Region, a 34-year-old man identified as Akoto was arrested in Kodie after allegedly abusing over 20 teenage boys between the ages of 13 and 17. The suspect was narrowly saved from a lynch mob by community leaders before being handed over to the police. Meanwhile, a manhunt is underway in Takoradi for Mallam Anas, an Islamic teacher accused of sexually abusing more than 20 minors at his mosque. These cases have reinforced the CID's commitment to collaborating with international partners to provide psychological support for victims and ensure rigorous prosecution of offenders.

Demonstrating a zero-tolerance policy for misconduct within its own ranks, the Ghana Police Service also confirmed the arrest of Police Inspector Bright Appiah Danquah. The officer was implicated in a daylight armed robbery of a mobile money vendor in Kumasi, where GH¢38,600 was stolen at gunpoint; investigators linked him to the scene after he inadvertently left his mobile phone behind. In a separate matter of public safety and order, the Toase District Court fined driver Paul Owusu GH¢1,800 for driving without valid insurance and using a mobile device. The Ghana Police Service continues to urge the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities, emphasizing that public cooperation is essential to maintaining national security and justice for victims of these varied crimes.