Guinea-Bissau police free 71 people from fake jobs and visas scam

Guinea-Bissau's judicial police have broken up a network accused of trafficking and defrauding West Africans with fake offers of jobs and immigration abroad, freeing 71 people and arresting four suspects during raids on two houses in the north of the capital, Bissau. The alleged ringleader remains at large.

The people freed come from Mali, Guinea and Sierra Leone, according to the police, while the network's wider activities are said to have also involved people from Burkina Faso, Togo and Senegal. Many were lured by promises of work in Canada, Europe and the United States.

Key facts

• 71 people were freed and four suspects arrested in raids on two houses in northern Bissau.
• The police operation, codenamed "ASTRA", followed weeks of investigation.
• Those rescued included nationals of Mali, Guinea and Sierra Leone; the network also targeted people from Burkina Faso, Togo and Senegal.
• Victims were promised jobs and immigration to Canada, Europe and the United States.
• The alleged ringleader remains at large.

What did the network do?

Preliminary findings indicate that victims were brought to Bissau and then held against their will, Antonio Gomes, an officer with the judicial police, told AFP. He said they faced physical and psychological pressure, including threats and abuse, and were allegedly forced to take part in pyramid schemes by recruiting new people through social media.

The organisers reportedly gave out fake contact details for supposed offices in Canada, the United States and Portugal to make their activities look legitimate. Interpol intelligence reportedly contributed to dismantling the network, which investigators describe as having a presence in several countries in the region.

How much were people charged?

One victim, Fanta Makalou, a 32-year-old mother of three from Mali, said she was promised a job in France and the network demanded 1.5 million CFA francs ($2,570) to arrange the journey, including 500,000 CFA francs before she even left Mali. She said she had been held in Bissau for three months.

Issa, a 23-year-old from Conakry in Guinea, said he paid 10 million Guinean francs ($1,130) to a smuggler, who then demanded he recruit another person. When he refused, he said, the smuggler threatened to kill him if he told anyone.

What happens to the people freed?

Braima Cisse, the judicial police communications officer, said the victims would be handed over to their embassies. Those whose countries have no diplomatic mission in Bissau would have to manage for themselves, he said.

What this means for travellers

The case concerns offers of jobs and immigration to Canada, Europe and the United States rather than ordinary tourism. Anyone offered work or travel documents abroad in exchange for large advance payments should treat such offers with caution, particularly where recruiters ask them to bring in other people.

The police operation is continuing, and the alleged ringleader has not been caught. No further dates or official announcements have been given.