The Anti Human Trafficking Unit of the Eastern Regional Police Command has received Toyota Hiace mini bus to boost the fight against human trafficking activities.
The bus was donated by the International Justice Mission (IJM), an NGO working in the area of anti-human trafficking and child labour in the country.
The donation has come at the back of media exposure’ on sex trafficking activities in Koforidua the Eastern Regional Capital which involves young female Nigerians being exploited sexually by the traffickers.
According to the Director of operations at IJM Ghana, Miss. Anita Budu, her department has since 2016 been working closely with the Police Anti Human Trafficking Unit to fight the menace of human trafficking but has observed logistical challenges continue to affect the work of the police hence the donation.
“IJM today we are donating a vehicle a van to the Ghana Police Service and it is really to support their work, we work with the Ghana Police Service to tackle issues of trafficking and so our hope is that this is a resource that will support the Ghana Police Service in this work”
” Since 2016 we have been working with the anti-human trafficking unit and the Ghana police service here to rescue children and so we have been able to rescue a number of children that have cases taken to court and also there have been convictions and so the work has really progressed with the Ghana police service and also the Attorney General’s office and the department of social welfare we’ve really been able to see good progress and we are impressed with that we know they will continue the good work as we move forward in the years ahead,” she said.
She is optimistic that when the police anti-human trafficking unit is well resourced with regards to vehicles to conduct rescue operations and transport victims and suspects.
“A lot of the time to be able to get close to the cases if the cases are not here in Koforidua then quit remote areas closer to the lake and so hopefully the vehicle will be able to help them be able to access these areas for investigations and also for rescuing of the children” she added.
However, the Eastern Regional Police Commander DCOP Anderson Fosu Ackah who received the donated vehicle on behalf of the police anti-human trafficking unit commended IJM Ghana for the intervention stating that it will go a long way to enhance the fight against human trafficking, especially in cases in the remote areas.
” The IJM has been in partnership with the Ghana police service over the years to fight human trafficking in Ghana so they looking at the work we are doing they deem it fit to support in the way of transport because when they rescue they have to bring the victims and send them to court as well and all this require the use of a vehicle to do it so it a great intervention for us,” he said.
Source: Mybrytnewsroom.com/Obed Ansah
