My Children Were Recruited in a Trafficking Scam: I Joined a Police Hunt to Find Them
A Father’s Desperate Search for His Children
Foday Musa’s heart aches with despair as he recalls the last voice message from his son—a 76-second recording filled with desperation and tears. It’s so hard to hear. Hearing his voice hurts me, Musa confided to BBC Africa Eye, who provided exclusive access to the police unit aiding in the search for his two children, victims of a criminal trafficking scam.
Musa’s children, his 22-year-old son and 18-year-old daughter, were lured in February 2024 from their remote village in central Guinea by agents promising employment opportunities abroad. But those promises turned into a nightmare; they were taken across the border into Sierra Leone and held captive. My heart is broken. I can’t stop crying. If you look at my eyes, you can see the pain, Musa expressed.
The Human Trafficking Scam in West Africa
Musa’s case caught the attention of Interpol’s global policing agency in Guinea, which enlisted their counterparts in Sierra Leone for assistance. August found Musa in Makeni, striving to locate his children amidst a broader crisis affecting thousands in West Africa, all lured by the QNET human trafficking scam.
– QNET Overview: Established in Hong Kong, QNET operates as a legitimate wellness and lifestyle company. However, criminal gangs exploit its name as a cover for nefarious activities.
– Scam Mechanism: These traffickers entice individuals with job offers in the US, Canada, Dubai, and Europe, demanding payment for administration costs. After payment, victims often find themselves trapped, coerced into recruiting others under the false premise that the jobs exist.
Despite their efforts, job opportunities remain nonexistent. The company has been proactive in combating these scams, launching a QNET Against Scams campaign with warning billboards throughout the region, firmly denying any links to human trafficking.
The Search Intensifies
Musa and his extended family had already surrendered $25,000 (£19,000) to the traffickers—including fees and extra sums aimed at securing his children’s safe return. Desperation drove him to Sierra Leone, and soon, Mahmoud Conteh, head of the anti-trafficking unit within Sierra Leone’s police, prioritized Musa’s case.
The traffickers easily maneuver across our borders at illegal crossing points, Conteh warned. Following a tip-off about numerous young people held captive in Makeni, Musa joined the police in a raid on suspected trafficking premises.
Inside the property, chaos reigned with bags and clothes strewn about, and as many as 15 individuals were squeezed into tiny rooms. The team discovered victims—including minors—as young as 14. The majority are Guineans, Conteh detailed, but tragically, Musa’s children were not among those rescued. One young man reported seeing them just the week prior, igniting a flicker of hope.
Human Trafficking: A Growing Crisis
The police station in Makeni processed the rescued individuals, eventually returning 19 Guinea nationals home. Over the past year, authorities have executed 20 raids, rescuing hundreds from trafficking, though many victims are frequently relocated by their captors.
Aminata, a 23-year-old Sierra Leonean, shared her harrowing experience of being brought into the QNET scheme in mid-2024. After paying $1,000 for a promised job in the US, she lived under false pretenses, only to face increasing hardships. When they first recruit you, they feed you… But as time goes by, they stop, she remarked, revealing that she was forced into survival measures: You have to sell your body to get money.
Aminata, initially deceived, felt compelled to recruit others to maintain the façade of legitimacy. She eventually lured six acquaintances into the same trap, feeling immense guilt when their dreams also crumbled. After nearly a year of bondage, she fled alone, burdened by shame and the impact of deceit on her family.
The Ongoing Struggle Against Trafficking
Despite the alarming rise in such scams, precise statistics on victims remain elusive. Reports of West African gangs tricking individuals into believing that these foreign job schemes exist are alarmingly common. The BBC accompanied police on numerous raids in Makeni, meeting countless young victims trafficked from various countries including Burkina Faso, Guinea, Ivory Coast, and Mali. Twelve suspected traffickers were apprehended during this crackdown, yet successful prosecutions are rare, leaving authorities—often under-resourced—grappling with an uphill battle against such crimes.
As Musa returned to Guinea empty-handed in September, Conteh later informed the media that his children were released shortly after. Although Musa’s daughter had managed to return to Guinea, she remains unreachable and did not want to speak to her father, reflecting the societal shame inherent in such situations. The whereabouts of Musa’s son, however, remain unknown.
After all that has happened, I really just want it all to be over and to see my kids, Musa lamented. We’d love them to come back to the village now—I’d love them to be here with me.
Conclusion
The plight of families like Musa’s highlights a growing epidemic of human trafficking in West Africa, fueled by deceptive promises. Raising awareness of these scams is crucial, as is the support for victims seeking to reclaim their lives. The saga continues, reminding us of the critical need to combat these injustices and protect the most vulnerable in society.