The Criminal Investigations Department (CID), Commissioner of Police, Lydia Yaako Donkor, has announced the arrest of three Ghanaians in connection with the production and distribution of child sexual abuse material.
According to Lydia Yaako Donkor, their arrest follows a joint operation involving the Australian Federal Police and Interpol.
She revealed that the arrests form part of investigations into an international child exploitation case linked to an Australian offender standing trial.
Briefing the media on Tuesday, May 12, she disclosed that the suspect was arrested for taking, production, publication and processing of indecent images and videos involving children.
Lydia Yaako Donkor explained that Interpol Accra received intelligence in January 2026 from Interpol Canberra and the Crimes Against Children Unit of the Interpol General Secretariat regarding a child sexual exploitation case linked to Ghana.
A Joynews report detailed, “According to her, the intelligence, shared by the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation Victim Identification Team, indicated that an Australian suspect arrested in 2025 had received child sexual exploitation material from individuals based in Ghana.
She added that records further showed that the offender transferred funds to facilitators in Ghana in exchange for child sexual exploitation material involving victims also located in the country.
The Australian authorities subsequently requested assistance from the Ghana Police Service to rescue the victims and arrest the suspects.
Further investigations by officers from Interpol Accra, together with the Child Digital Forensics and Cybercrime Units under the supervision of CID headquarters, led to the arrest of two suspects in the Ashanti Region and the rescue of two victims aged between seven and 13 years.
Police later arrested a third suspect in the Bono Region, where two additional victims aged six and seven years were also rescued.
All three suspects are in police custody, assisting with investigations, while the rescued children are receiving care from the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) in their respective regions. The Abuse Relief Corps, a non-governmental organisation, is also supporting DOVVSU with care and counselling services”.
Meanwhile, the CID boss has disclosed that preliminary investigations indicate some of the suspects are close relatives of the victims, including an older brother and a mother, who are legally responsible for the children’s care.
She further disclosed that the Police will soon roll out a nationwide sensitisation programme to educate the public on child sexual abuse.
“It has come to the attention of the police administration that this type of crime is increasing because it is relatively easy to commit, difficult to detect and financially rewarding.
“I want to caution the general public that the police are actively collaborating with international partners and all relevant stakeholders to combat this crime, which dehumanises victims, negatively affects their self-esteem and places their future in jeopardy,” she said.