Accra (Ghana), May 28 (IANS) Five Indians, who were being trafficked to Canada for organ sale, have been rescued and sent back to India, a police official said.

"The five Indians have already been sent back to their country because we do not have the facilities to keep them in the country," Ghana Police Superintendent Patience Quaye told IANS.

She refused to give out any names but said the members of the gang who were behind the trafficking have been arrested.

"The gang had the five people. They believed that they were being sent to Canada to work. Investigations revealed that they were victims of human trafficking so we stepped in," she added.

Quaye said that Ghana was gradually becoming "a source and transit point for human trafficking".

Human trafficking, especially of children is growing in West Africa and the Interpol is assisting countries in the region to curb the menace.

Last year, in an international operation code-named Bia 1, a number of children were rescued in Cote d'Ivoire.

This year, a similar operation, Bia 2 rescued 116 children in Ghana. Bia is the name of a river that lies between Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire.