The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) has arrested a Ghanaian woman and several others suspected of being involved in a network trafficking street beggars into Ghana.
The arrests were made during an intelligence-led anti-trafficking operation targeting organised street begging networks in parts of the Greater Accra and Ashanti regions on Saturday, August 29, 2026.
According to a report by Citi FM on X on August 30, the woman is currently being held at the GIS headquarters as investigations continue.
Several Ghanaians suspected of serving as local agents for the alleged networks were also arrested during the operation.
A man who allegedly attempted to harbour some of the beggars inside a container was also arrested and is assisting investigators.
The wider operation resulted in the arrest of 1,055 people, most of them West African nationals.
The GIS said those picked up included 662 children, 248 women and 145 men.
According to the Service, the exercise formed part of efforts to disrupt organised networks believed to be exploiting vulnerable people through street begging.
In the Greater Accra Region, officers targeted several locations identified as hotspots for organised begging.
These included Abossey Okai, Sabon Zongo, Madina Zongo Junction, Madina, Ashaiman and Tema.
The operation was also extended to the Ashanti Region, where GIS personnel covered parts of the Kumasi Metropolis, including Asawase, Alabar, Akwatia Line, Dagomba Line, Sabon Zongo, Airport Junction and Aboabo.
The Service said investigations are ongoing to identify the organisers and local facilitators behind the alleged trafficking network and determine the circumstances under which the vulnerable individuals were brought into Ghana.
