Police in Côte d’Ivoire have rescued 33 West Africans from a human trafficking operation that promised them jobs in Canada. The victims, from Benin, Burkina Faso, Togo, and Ghana, reportedly paid up to $9,000 to traffickers who lured them with fake job offers. They were taken to Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, where they were forced to work under threat and manipulation.
According to an Afrinews report, the victims were made to take pictures in fancy places, pretending to live in Canada, to trick others into paying for the same fake job offers. The traffickers controlled their contact with family members to keep the lie going.
The operation reportedly began in February with raids carried out by police in both Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana. The scheme was uncovered after the father of two victims reported the situation to authorities. Interpol praised the cooperation between the two countries and the bravery of the victims who helped with the investigation.
After their rescue, the 33 victims were handed to a local NGO for care and support. This case adds to the growing issue of human trafficking scams targeting Africans, with over 300 people arrested in similar operations in 2024. Traffickers use false promises of work in Europe or North America to exploit vulnerable people. In some cases, victims are made to work in forced labour or even engage in scams to lure others into the same trap.
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