National Security operatives in the Ada East District have arrested 23 individuals, including a 14-year-old boy, for their alleged involvement in fraudulent activities at Kasseh and surrounding communities.
The suspects, comprising 13 males and 10 females, were apprehended on Tuesday, February 10, 2026. They include 21 Nigerians and two Ghanaians.
Peter Mensah Afanu, the Ada East District National Security Coordinator, disclosed to the Ghana News Agency that intelligence gathered approximately three weeks earlier prompted surveillance of the group’s movements and meetings.
The operatives eventually traced the suspects to a church premises in Kasseh, where they had gathered for what authorities suspect was an operational meeting.
According to Mr Afanu, the group presented themselves as distributors and sales agents for a company known as Neolife, claiming to market its products legitimately.
He alleged that two minors, a 14-year-old boy and a 15-year-old, had been lured into the network.
A search conducted on the arrested persons resulted in the recovery of 25 mobile phones, three syringes, and assorted medications, some of which had reportedly expired in 2024.
Preliminary interrogations, Mr Afanu said, indicate that the group had been operating for nearly two years across several communities in the district, including Ada, Kasseh, Tojeh, Sogakorpe, Sege, and nearby areas.
National Security Headquarters has directed that the suspects be remanded in police custody pending their transfer to Accra for further investigations.
Mr Afanu urged parents and guardians to closely monitor the activities of their children and wards to prevent them from being drawn into suspected scam networks.
Meanwhile, the alleged leader of the group, 28-year-old Success Clement Nwafo Chidimma, spoke to the Ghana News Agency, insisting that the group comprised “only young people trying to make a living.”
She denied any fraudulent intent, maintaining that they sold products only to willing buyers and described their activities as legitimate commercial endeavours.
She appealed for leniency from authorities.
The 14-year-old suspect also told the GNA 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 informed that he needed to sell products worth about GH¢450 to qualify for registration as an official distributor.