{"id":111130,"date":"2026-01-14T21:40:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-14T21:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=111130"},"modified":"2026-01-14T21:40:00","modified_gmt":"2026-01-14T21:40:00","slug":"uk-ghana-crack-down-on-immigration-crime-as-fugitive-smuggler-jailed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=111130","title":{"rendered":"UK\u2013Ghana crack down on immigration crime as fugitive smuggler jailed"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n \t<\/i> Read Time:<\/span>1 Minute, 48 Second <\/div>\n\n <\/div>
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The United Kingdom continues to take decisive action against organised immigration crime through a mix of proactive and reactive measures aimed at dismantling criminal networks and protecting border integrity. <\/p>\n

These efforts \u2014 including arrests, asset seizures and prosecutions \u2014 have significantly disrupted the operations of organised crime groups.<\/p>\n

In 2022, several incidents involving the illegal facilitation of migration using fraudulent travel documents were detected on flights departing Kotoka International Airport in Accra to the UK. <\/p>\n

Following these discoveries, the British High Commission formally referred the matter to Ghana\u2019s Criminal Investigation Department (CID), leading to the arrest of Julian Kyere Akoto-Bamfo on charges of migrant smuggling.<\/p>\n

During proceedings at the Ghana Supreme Court in 2025, Akoto-Bamfo was granted bail but subsequently failed to appear in court. His sureties, valued at GH\u00a245,000, were later forfeited.<\/p>\n

On January 14, 2026, Akoto-Bamfo was convicted and sentenced to five years\u2019 imprisonment with hard labour and a fine of GH\u00a212,000. <\/p>\n

The trial was conducted in his absence, and he remains wanted by the Ghana Police Service.<\/p>\n

Commenting on the case, the British High Commissioner to Ghana, Dr Christian Rogg, said it underscored the strength of cooperation between the two countries in tackling organised immigration crime.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis case demonstrates the strength of UK\u2013Ghana cooperation in tackling organised immigration crime,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe will continue to work closely with our partners to disrupt criminal networks and protect the integrity of our borders.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Director General of the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service, COP Lydia Donkor, said the collaboration reflected Ghana\u2019s resolve to prevent the country from becoming a refuge for organised crime.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur work with the British High Commission reflects our commitment to ensuring that Ghana does not become a safe haven for organised crime,\u201d she said, adding that authorities would \u201cpursue justice relentlessly.\u201d<\/p>\n

The case also forms part of a broader global effort to combat visa fraud and illegal migration. <\/p>\n

In November 2025, the High Commissions of Australia, Canada and the UK launched a joint public education campaign during International Fraud Awareness Week, warning of the dangers of visa scams and promoting safe and legitimate application practices.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"UK\u2013GhanaThe United Kingdom continues to take decisive action against organised immigration crime through a mix of proactive and reactive measures aimed at dismantling criminal networks and protecting border integrity.<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_2277560469115098_106292521332774":"","twitter_aToxNzczMzI3Njk4OTg4ODUxMjAxOw==_1773327698988851200":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[50,15363,1883,10,9,1893],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-111130","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-crime","category-immigration-crime","category-national","category-politics","category-popular","category-uk"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111130","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=111130"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111130\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=111130"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=111130"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=111130"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}