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By John Diabe

In a coordinated police operation that spanned borders and pierced the shadowy underworld of human trafficking, authorities in Ivory Coast and Ghana rescued 33 West African victims from a transnational criminal network that lured them with false promises of jobs in Canada, Interpol announced on Tuesday.

The victims, hailing from Ghana, Benin, Burkina Faso, and Togo, had each paid as much as $9,000 to supposed recruiters who advertised lucrative employment opportunities in North America. But instead of boarding a flight to Toronto or Vancouver, they found themselves trapped in Abidjan, the economic capital of Ivory Coast, subjected to physical and psychological coercion in what officials have described as a well-orchestrated human trafficking operation.

The scheme relied on a cruel form of digital manipulation. Traffickers forced victims to pose for photos in luxury hotels and restaurants in Abidjan and post them on social media to fabricate the illusion they had arrived safely in Canada. The victims were also made to contact relatives sparingly, just enough to maintain the ruse and lure new recruits into the same trap.

“These individuals were not only deprived of their freedom but also coerced into becoming tools of deception,” Interpol said in a statement. “It is a disturbing example of how organized crime adapts and thrives in the digital era.”

The operation to dismantle the trafficking ring began in February with simultaneous raids on two locations tied to the network. It followed a tip-off by the father of two victims who had become suspicious and approached Ghanaian authorities, leading to a joint investigation with their Ivorian counterparts and Interpol.

Youssouf Kouyate, director general of the Ivory Coast National Police, praised the collaboration that made the rescue possible.

“This case underscores the power of close cooperation between countries and the importance of swift, courageous action,” Kouyate said. “I commend the bravery of the victims who came forward, helping bring an end to their own suffering and potentially saving many others.”

After their release, the victims were referred to a local non-governmental organization for psychological and medical support, Interpol said.

The case adds to a growing body of evidence that job scam trafficking rings are expanding rapidly in West Africa, exploiting high youth unemployment and weak regulatory oversight. Over the past year, law enforcement agencies across the region have intensified crackdowns on such schemes. In 2024 alone, more than 300 people were arrested in a series of similar raids.

Interpol, a global policing agency with 196 member states, plays a critical role in tracking transnational criminal networks. In recent years, it has focused increasingly on crimes that blend traditional trafficking methods with online manipulation, including financial fraud, child exploitation, cybercrime, and now, job scam-driven human trafficking.

For many in West Africa, the dream of a better life abroad remains powerful. But cases like this show how easily that dream can be weaponized.

“This is not just about human trafficking,” said one Ivorian human rights advocate who asked not to be named for security reasons. “It’s about hope turned into a trap. And unless governments do more to protect vulnerable youth, these stories will keep repeating.”