Police Arrest Suspected Child Traffickers in Kumasi

Police Arrest Suspected Child Traffickers in Kumasi

3 June 2014 , By Ernest Best Anane, Source: Ghanaian Chronicle

The Ashanti Regional Police Anti-Human Trafficking Unit has arrested a 44-year-old woman, Cecilia Annor, at Ayefro, and two of her accomplices in connection with a baby boy suspected to have been stolen. Briefing the media, ASP Regina Eleanor Mintah, in-charge of Anti-Human Traffic Unit, explained that the police gathered intelligence to the effect that Ms. Cecilia Annor had a baby in her custody, but was not the mother.

The suspect resides at Abuakwa and sells at the Kumasi Polytechnic. According to her, the suspect confessed to the police as having collected the baby from one Comfort Adjei-Kyem, 54, at the Kumasi Children's Home. She said Cecilia Annor mentioned a maternity home at new Suame as where the baby was collected from, and when the police followed up to new Suame, Madam

Grace Osei Afriyie, 59, owner of the Ayiwaah maternity home, who was also mentioned by the suspect, were arrested together with Comfort Adjei-Kyem, and have been cautioned to that effect. ASP Regina Mintah disclosed that Cecilia Annor went to the Kumasi Children's Home for adoption, and met suspect Comfort Adjei-Kyem, who is a typist at the home, and collected an amount of GH¢500 for the adoption forms.

Suspect Comfort Adjei-Kyem later reportedly called suspect Cecilia Annor that the baby was ready, while Cecilia Annor, the suspect who had been posing to be pregnant for months, quickly met suspect Comfort Adjei-Kyem, and together, they went to suspect Grace Osei Afriyie at her maternity home at Suame, where a day old baby boy was handed over to suspects Cecilia Annor and Comfort Adjei-Kyem, after an amount of GH¢3,500 was received from suspect Cecilia Annor's husband.

The suspect's husband is yet to give a statement to the police. ASP Regina Eleanor Mintah has indicated that the baby in question, who is about five months old now, is in the custody of the Kumasi Children's Home, pending investigations.

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