National Security operatives in the Ada East District have arrested 23 persons, including a 14-year-old boy, over suspected fraudulent activities at Kasseh.
The suspects, picked up on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, comprise 13 males and 10 females. They include 21 Nigerians and two Ghanaians.
Peter Mensah Afanu, the Ada East District National Security Coordinator, told the Ghana News Agency that intelligence gathered about three weeks ago led to surveillance of the group’s movements and meetings.
Ghana tourism packages
He said the suspects were eventually traced to a church premises where they had assembled for what authorities believed to be an operational meeting.
According to Mr Afanu, the group claimed to be distributors of a company known as Neolife, presenting themselves as sales agents for its products.
He alleged that two boys, aged 14 and 15, had been lured into the network.
A search conducted on the suspects led to the retrieval of 25 mobile phones, three syringes, and assorted medications, some of which had reportedly expired in 2024.
Preliminary interrogation, Mr Afanu said, suggested that the group had been operating for nearly two years in communities including Ada, Kasseh, Tojeh, Sogakorpe, Sege, and surrounding areas.
He added that National Security Headquarters had directed that the suspects be placed in police custody pending their transfer to Accra for further investigations.
Mr Afanu cautioned parents and guardians to monitor the activities of their wards closely to prevent them from falling victim to suspected scam networks.
Meanwhile, the alleged leader of the group, 28-year-old Success Clement Nwafo Chidimma, told the Ghana News Agency that they were “only young people trying to make a living.”
She denied any intention to defraud the public, stating that they sold products solely to willing buyers.
She appealed for leniency, describing their activities as commercial rather than criminal.
The 14-year-old suspect also told the Ghana News Agency that his parents could not afford to enrol him in school.
He said he was approached by a member of the group with promises of earning money and was later told he needed to sell products worth about GH¢450 to qualify for registration as an official distributor.
Source: GNA
Ada East: 23 arrested in alleged scam, 14-year-old among suspects
