EOCO Names Assin Fosu As Major Hub for Organised Crime In Ghana

• EOCO has named Assin Fosu as a major hub for organised crime in Ghana
• The Deputy Head of Legal and Prosecution at EOCO, Leo Anthony Siamah said the criminal gangs are well-established and have well-structured operations
• He noted that dismantling their operations has been challenging as politicians and influential figures have been interfering on their behalf

The Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) says Assin Fosu is the fulcrum of organised crime in the country.

According to the Deputy Head of Legal and Prosecution at EOCO, Leo Anthony Siamah, criminal gangs in the town over the years have developed a well-oiled operational structure, as well as a well-established leadership structure.

He revealed that the gangs tend to have three or four layers in hierarchy with smooth flow of information from the bottom to the top and vice versa ensuring strict control within the ranks of the organisation.

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He revealed on JoyNews that their main criminal activities being carried out by these gangs include human trafficking and bank fraud among others.

Politicians interceding on behalf of criminal gangs

Mr Siamah noted that while these gangs have been identified, fighting them has been very challenging.

He attributed the challenge to the interference of EOCO’s work by some highly influential figures, including politicians whenever a gang gets busted.

“So you realise that, we bust a ring, we are conducting an investigation and certain caliber of persons show up. These are some of the problems we are facing,” he said.

Aside from their connections to powerful figures, the Deputy Head of Legal and Prosecution further noted that the criminal gangs have started using creative means to launder money into the country.

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Their most common modus operandi being the use of cryptocurrencies to move large sums of money across the border.

This he says has made it difficult to arrest these criminal elements as it is near impossible to monitor crypto wallets.

EOCO rescues trafficked Nigerians

Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that EOCO disclosed a recent intelligence operation, which led to the arrest of four Nigerians who are part of a dangerous human trafficking syndicate in Accra.

EOCO explained in a statement to the public that the criminals were also engaged in different types of cybercrime.

Some 45 of the individuals who had been trafficked from Nigeria into Ghana and were being tortured and abused have been repatriated.

Source: YEN.com.gh