Two suspected recruitment scammers are in the grips of the Ghana Immigration Service in Tema for allegedly defrauding about 30 unsuspecting victims to the tune of over ¢250,000.00
The suspects are Awuah Forson, 46 years of age and his accomplice, Ekow Hackman who is 71 years.
On Friday, February 26, 2021, a female who had allegedly paid GH¢10,600.00 to suspect Forson visited Immigration Academy and Training School at Assin Fosu in the Central region to authenticate his identity.
She was, however, disappointed to learn that there was none by such name.
Public Relations Officer for Immigration Academy and Training School, ASI Roland Aziz showed interest in her situation and decided to follow up on the case.
He then planned with her how she could meet the suspect.
ASI Aziz then planted four officers from the Immigration Academy and Training School who will travel with her to meet the suspect.
One of the four officers was to feign as a brother to the victim who wanted to enlist.
The victim then called the suspect who wanted to meet her on Saturday at Winneba but it was later changed to Kasoa, then to Accra and finally to Tema.
In an interview with Joy News, Public Relations Officer for Tema Region, DSI Mercy Budu said at about 2: 00 pm that day, ASI Roland Aziz contacted her over the recruitment fraud syndicate that needed to be apprehended.
DSI Budu immediately relayed the information to the Operations Department in Tema which deployed an officer to assist the team on the ground.
The suspect at the time had picked the victim and her said brother into a hotel in Tema upon arrival as the remaining officers monitored closely.
On Sunday, the suspect and his accomplice then showed up to pick up the money of the interested applicant where they were both arrested.
Head of Operations, Tema, ACI James Hayford Boadi has cautioned the public against engaging people who claim to enlist interested applicants.
“Immigration Service does not sublet its recruitment exercise to an individual or group of persons whether civilians or men in uniform. It is done by GIS alone under the ministry of Interior.”
He indicated that the suspects are being interrogated for the law to take its course.
On the issue of the victims receiving their money, this will be dependent on the service being able to retrieve it from the suspects.
ACI Boadi used the opportunity to thank Tema Regional Immigration Commander, ACI Kojo Oppong Yeboah, Commandant of Immigration Academy and Training School, ACI Alex Adu and Tema Regional PRO, DSI Mercy Budu.
The rest are PRO for the Immigration Academy and Training School, ASI Roland Aziz and investigator, Senior Insp. Emmanuel Abeiku Quainoo, Recruit Officers, Michael Ofori, Clinton Osei Mensah, Manford and Aikens Boateng for making the operation a success.
