Police in the Volta Region has arrested 12 commercial sex workers in Ho, the Volta Regional Capital following a boom in the trade in recent times.
Per police intelligence, the commercial sex trade in the municipality has heralded several other criminal activities which threaten the safety and security of law-abiding citizens.
To this end, personnel from the Police Intelligence and Operations Unit undertook a joint operation last Saturday, March 19, 2022, to arrest the all-female commercial sex workers at a popular Mirage pub in Ho.
The 12 suspects whose ages range from 20 to 35 years consist of 11 foreigners and a Ghanaian.
They are Flourish Sampson 25, Gifty Blessing 26, Gloria John 25, Blessing Sunday 23, Chiamaka Okulen 23, and Sonia Asare 24 years old.
The others are Tosin Deli Ada 35, Rachael Francis 24, Grace Paul 28, Annabel John 20, Juliet Chiamaka 25, and Joy Tin 20 years old.
The Head of the Public Affairs Unit of the Volta Regional Police Unit, DSP Efia Tenge explained that the operation is part of a comprehensive crime mitigating strategy of the Command.
She said their intelligence shows that commercial sex activities within the Municipality are a “precursor to many other criminal activities such as break-ins, robbery and the recent incidents of murder within the Municipality.”
The suspects will be screened and those found culpable will be put before the court, she noted.
Before this operation, residents had been raising concerns about the rising rate of commercial sex activities in the Ho Municipality.
These concerns featured prominently on social media and on local radio stations early this year.
Although some argued that it was a sign of increased spending and commercial activities in the region, especially the capital, others raised serious security concerns about the activity and called on the Police to intervene.
DSP Efia Tenge in her final words stressed that the operation will be sustained to weed out such elements from the region as a means to minimise the incidence of violent crimes.
From Fred Duodu, Ho (k.duodu@yahoo.com)