375 foreigners arrested for Ghana Card, passport fraud
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has disclosed that 375 people believed to be foreigners have been arrested for illegally possessing Ghana Cards and attempting to obtain Ghanaian passports.
Sector Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa explained that the surge in such incidents follows the increased value of the Ghanaian passport, which now allows visa-free travel to 42 countries, emphasising that the ministry has introduced new security measures to curb fraudulent activities.
“Foreigners are trying to lay their hands on our passports. We need to be ahead of the threat. So we have outlined a number of enhanced security measures. I can confirm to you that we are rolling out a no-nonsense approach. Any foreigner who attempts to lay their hands on our passports will be promptly apprehended and prosecuted. So far, we have rounded up 375 people who we believe are not Ghanaians,” he said.
In a move to tighten security, the ministry has also restricted mobile phone numbers used for passport applications. “No mobile phone number will be allowed to register for more than five passport applications. We detected a trend of multiple attempts by the same numbers, and these numbers have now been blocked in our system,” the Minister explained.
Ablakwa further noted that the new measures consider community demographics, the average number of minors, and parental responsibilities, aiming to prevent exploitation of the system.
The Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding Ghanaian passports and national security, warning that anyone found violating these measures would face prosecution.
