The Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO), in collaboration with the Bank of Ghana and Cyber Security Authority, have arrested 422 Ghanaians and 3 foreign nationals for running unlicensed digital loan applications.
The arrests were part of their mission to suppress illegal activities related to trade platforms online.
The announcement was made in a statement released by the Office of the Executive Director of EOCO on 12th July, 2023.
EOCO’s investigations uncovered 150 unlicensed digital loan application forms that had been used to threaten people with death, as well as to disseminate private messages and images granted by gullible victims who patronize these digital forms.
“Investigations have so far led to the identification of one hundred and fifty(150) unlicensed digital loan application platforms whose owners/administrators resort to the use of death threats and non-consensual distribution of private messages, images and videos mainly accessed through authorized permissions granted by unsuspecting victims who patronize these platforms.”
In the statement, it was revealed that the Office’s taskforce with support from the Ghana Police Service were able to carry out an operation on 10th July, 2023, that resulted in the seizure of many electronic items and the arrest of some Ghanaians and a few foreign nationals.
“In an attempt to disrupt the activities of these targeted entities, the taskforce on Monday, July 10th 2023 ,with the support of the Ghana Police Service, conducted a swoop in three (3) different suburbs in the Greater Accra region where a total of four hundred and twenty-two (422) Ghanaians and three (3) foreign nationals were arrested. In all, six hundred and fifty four (654) mobile phones, twenty two (22) laptop computers and about eight hundred (800) SIM cards were retrieved as part of the exercise. “
EOCO went on to assure the general public of their commitment to ensure the enforcement of laws for a safe financial market. The public was then advised to avoid doing business with any unlicensed financial institutions.
“The Economic and Organised Crime Office wishes to reiterate its commitment to the enforcement of relevant laws on the operations of the financial markets in Ghana and hereby cautions the general public to desist from having any form of engagements with unlicensed financial entities who ply their trade online.”
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Story by | Henrietta Owusu | univers.ug.edu.gh
