No terrorist arrested; no blame games – Police, Immigration refute reports of missing suspects

The Ghana Police Service and the Ghana Immigration Service have released a joint statement refuting reports about the arrest of some 48 alleged terrorists.

According to a report by the Ghanaian Times Newspaper, the whereabouts of the foreigners who were arrested in connection with alleged terrorism and fraudulent activities has resulted in a furore of blame games between the Police and the Immigration Service.

But reacting to the publication in a statement dated Thursday, January 5, 2022, and singed by officials of the two security agencies, the public has been urged to disregard the said report.

“We wish to state categorically that the said publication is false and should be disregarded. No supposed terrorists have been arrested by the Police and the Ghana Immigration Service, and there is certainly no blame game going on between the two state security agencies as is being falsely claimed by the Ghanaian Times Newspaper,” the statement.

Contrary to the publication, the statement said the Police and Immigration sometime in September last year arrested 48 foreign nationals for engaging in an Illegal Network Marketing dubbed QNET.

“We would like to put on record, for the avoidance of any doubt, that some 48 foreign nationals were arrested by the Police and the Immigration in two separate operations at Akyem, Achiase and Akokoamong near Ejisu in the Ashanti Region in September 2022, for engaging in illegal Network Marketing (QNET).

“All 48 suspects were profiled in line with standard operating procedures of our two institutions and were repatriated to their various home countries between September 26th and September 29, 2022,” the statement added.

While assuring the public of their partnership in the discharge of their mandates, the Police and Immigration called for caution in the use of ‘terrorists’, especially within the media.

“We would like to urge the public, especially the media, to be circumspect in their use of the term “terrorists” and avoid using the word loosely and irresponsibly, and thus create unwarranted fear and panic in a peaceful society such as ours,” the statement added.



GA/FNOQ