The Ghana Police Service has dismantled a sophisticated cyber fraud ring that preyed on unsuspecting citizens by sending fake electronic traffic violation notices, leading to the arrest of seven suspects.
The fraudulent scheme, which surfaced prominently over the past week, involved text messages designed to mimic official Police Service communications. The messages duped recipients into clicking malicious links to pay fictitious traffic fines, ultimately diverting their funds through a complex web of mobile money transactions.
At a press briefing at the National Police Headquarters in Accra on Thursday, Chief Superintendent Alexander Kwaku Obeng revealed that the arrests were the result of a targeted, intelligence-led operation.
“Seven suspects are now in custody and are actively assisting us with our investigations,” Chief Supt. Obeng confirmed to the media.
The Anatomy of a Scam
Police investigations uncovered a layered financial structure meticulously designed to launder the stolen proceeds. Funds from victims were funneled through multiple mobile money accounts to obscure their trail.
The breakthrough in the case came with the arrest of Martha Quarshie, a mobile money vendor operating in Ada. Her interrogation provided the crucial lead that pointed investigators to the alleged mastermind, Prosper Otumfour.
Otumfour was subsequently apprehended at his residence in Winneba. A search of his property unearthed GH¢4,188 in cash, alongside multiple SIM cards, mobile phones, and laptops believed to be the primary tools used to orchestrate the fraud.
The operation then widened, leading to the arrest of two additional vendors, Robert Akplehe and Christian Akplehe, as well as Michael Edem Amemornu, who is accused of receiving portions of the illicit funds. Searches conducted at their various locations resulted in the recovery of more electronic devices, SIM cards, bank cards, and thousands of cedis in cash.
Investigators allege that Otumfour registered Telecel Cash SIM cards in the names of associates, including some of the other suspects, to collect payments from victims. These funds were then cycled through Quarshie and redistributed across a network of accounts in a deliberate attempt to wash the money and conceal its final destination.
Suspects in Custody
The seven individuals in police custody have been identified as:
· Martha Quarshie
· Peter Ofori McCarthy
· Alfred Kofi Totimeh
· Prosper Otumfour
· Robert Akplehe
· Christian Akplehe
· Michael Edem Amemornu
They are expected to be charged before a court of law shortly. Police have stated that efforts are ongoing to identify and apprehend any other collaborators involved in the network. The coordinated sting operation spanned multiple regions, with simultaneous raids conducted in Accra, Ada, and Winneba.
Police Response and Future Measures
In the wake of the incident, the Police Service has moved to reassure the public, announcing the accelerated development of an automated traffic enforcement system. The new platform, named Traffitech-GH, is designed to bring transparency to the issuance of traffic penalties and eliminate avenues for fraud.
The initiative is being developed in collaboration with the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Transport, the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), and the Ministry of Finance.
The Police Service has reaffirmed its dedication to protecting citizens from cyber-enabled crime and issued a stark warning that individuals who exploit the Service’s name to perpetrate fraud will face the full, decisive force of the law.
