The International Police Organisation (INTERPOL) has commended the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) for its contribution to an international investigation that led to the rescue of four children and the arrest of suspects involved in online child sexual exploitation and abuse.
The commendation was made during a courtesy call on the NHIA in Accra on Friday as part of efforts to strengthen collaboration among institutions combating online child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Criminal Intelligence Officer at INTERPOL’s Crimes Against Children Unit, Mr Ibrahim Madawaki, described Ghana as a key partner in INTERPOL’s operations in Africa.
He said the organisation supports member countries through capacity building, investigative assistance, international cooperation and victim identification.
Mr Madawaki underscored the importance of collaboration and data sharing in tackling transnational crimes.
“The backbone of any police investigation is data. Fighting crime is not the responsibility of one agency alone. It requires collaboration among stakeholders at both national and international levels,” he said.
He also thanked the NHIA for its prompt response to intelligence requests that significantly aided a recent international operation.
Detective Frank Kwarteng of INTERPOL Accra explained that the visit formed part of stakeholder engagements aimed at understanding how institutions process information requests for criminal investigations.
He noted that the NHIA was selected because of its vital role in a recent case involving international cooperation.
INTERPOL Accra’s Point of Contact for Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, Mr Joshua Nartey, disclosed that the case originated from the arrest of a suspect in Australia linked to the circulation of child sexual abuse materials online.
Investigations later revealed that some Ghanaian individuals were involved in producing and selling the materials.
According to him, the perpetrators shared an image of a child’s National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) card to prove the authenticity of victims to buyers.
Following a request from INTERPOL, the NHIA provided information that helped investigators locate the child and guardians in the Ashanti Region.
Mr Nartey said NHIA data also enabled investigators to trace the child’s school through NHIS renewal records, leading to the rescue of four victims and the arrest of suspects.
Receiving the delegation on behalf of the NHIA Chief Executive, Dr Victor Asare Bampoe, the Deputy Chief Executive for Operations, Dr Senanu Kwesi Djokoto, reaffirmed the authority’s commitment to protecting vulnerable groups, especially children.
He also highlighted the establishment of a Gender Desk to strengthen prevention, awareness and response to sexual exploitation and abuse.
BY TIMES REPORTER
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