Ghana, INTERPOL make strides in crime combat – CID boss

Ghana, in collaboration with INTERPOL and other international law-enforcement partners, has made significant strides in combating transnational organised crime, COP Lydia Yaako Donkor, Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, has said.

She said Ghana’s participation in INTERPOL-coordinated operations had resulted in the arrest of suspects, the recovery of stolen assets, the rescue of victims, and the disruption of criminal networks operating across borders.

COP Donkor said this in a statement to commemorate the United Nations International Day of Police Cooperation, observed on Monday, September 7, on the theme: “Protecting Against Vulnerability; Building Trust and Legitimacy in Policing.”

The nature of crime, she noted, had changed dramatically, making international police cooperation increasingly important in addressing crimes that transcended national borders.

“Today, Ghana joins the international law-enforcement community in commemorating the United Nations International Day of Police Cooperation under the 2026 theme: ‘Protecting Against Vulnerability; Building Trust and Legitimacy in Policing,’” she said.

COP Donkor noted that Ghana had been a member of INTERPOL since 1958, with the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) in Accra facilitating international police cooperation through the global law-enforcement network.

She said the impact of such cooperation was demonstrated by Ghana’s participation in Operation Contender 3.0, an INTERPOL-coordinated operation against romance scams and sextortion conducted simultaneously across 14 African countries in August 2025.

The operation led to the arrest of 68 suspects, the seizure of 835 electronic devices, and the identification of 108 victims.

Investigations further established financial losses of approximately $450,000, of which about $ 70,000 was recovered.

She also cited Operation Sentinel, another INTERPOL-coordinated cybercrime operation conducted simultaneously across 19 African countries between October and November 2025.

The operation led to the identification of the ransomware strain used in an attack on a Ghanaian institution, from which more than $120,000 was stolen. COP Donkor said nearly 30 terabytes of data were recovered and the perpetrators arrested.

She said the results were not merely statistics but represented businesses protected, savings recovered, digital infrastructure secured and criminal networks disrupted.

“Behind these figures were real victims; people whose trust had been manipulated through fake identities, stolen photographs, fraudulent relationships and threats of exposure,” she said.

COP Donkor said the outcomes of the operations demonstrated that international cooperation went beyond the exchange of information.

“When properly used, information becomes intelligence; intelligence becomes action; and action can protect victims and recover their money,” she said.

She said the year’s theme challenged law-enforcement agencies to look beyond financial losses and focus on protecting vulnerable people.

COP Donkor said in January 2026, collaboration with Australian authorities led to the arrest of three suspects and, importantly, the rescue of four Ghanaian children aged between six and 13 in the Ashanti and Bono Regions.

“What price do we place on restoring a child’s safety, dignity and future?” she asked, adding that the value of rescuing a six-year-old child from exploitation was “priceless. That is precisely why international police cooperation matters.”

The CID Boss said the same principle applied to the fight against other forms of transnational organised crime, including vehicle-related crimes and firearms smuggling.

“I speak today not only as the Director-General of Ghana’s Criminal Investigations Department but also as a member of the INTERPOL Africa Committee,” she said, adding that as criminal networks became increasingly international, police cooperation also needed to become more global.

"As criminals attempt to exploit borders, law enforcement must continue to build bridges across them,” she stated. “On this International Day of Police Cooperation, therefore, Ghana’s message is clear: Our cooperation must not be limited by our borders.”

COP Donkor said the Ghana Police Service, through the CID and INTERPOL NCB Accra, remained committed to working with INTERPOL, African partners and law-enforcement agencies worldwide to protect victims, disrupt criminal networks, recover criminal assets, pursue fugitives and build safer communities.

When police services cooperated, criminals lost the advantage of borders; information sharing gave victims a greater chance of being found, and joint investigations left criminals with fewer places to hide, she noted.

COP Donkor said professional, accountable and trusted policing would contribute to stronger communities.

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