This was revealed in a statement issued on Saturday by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, on behalf of the Nigeria Police Force.
According to the statement, the operation followed intelligence received from INTERPOL-NCB, Bogotá, on August 26, 2026, concerning two Colombian women identified as Maria Camila Rodas Ortiz and Yuliet Fernanda Rios Mesa.
The victims were reportedly lured to Nigeria under false pretences, confined against their will and stripped of their travel documents by Chinese nationals linked to the syndicate.
Acting on the intelligence, police operatives launched a covert tracking operation that led them to a suspected criminal hideout in Lagos, where the two women were rescued the same day.
The suspects, however, reportedly fled the premises after sighting the approaching police team.
The police said efforts had been intensified to locate and arrest all members of the syndicate.
The rescued women are currently under police protection and receiving necessary support. The Colombian Embassy in Accra is also working with the INTERPOL bureau to secure hotel accommodation for them and obtain emergency travel documents to facilitate their safe return to Bogotá.
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, reaffirmed the Force’s commitment to protecting lives and property while strengthening international cooperation against human trafficking and other forms of transnational organised crime.
