In a major crackdown on human trafficking, police officers have rescued 70 victims from a suspected syndicate operating in Ruai, Nairobi.
In a statement on Thursday, March 5, the Kenya Police Service (KPS) said the rescue operation followed a tip-off from members of the public.
According to the police, the victims had been locked inside a house in the Ruai area. The foreign nations include 66 Ethiopians and 4 Eritreans.
During the operation, the police officers arrested one Kenyan suspect in connection with the human trafficking case.
“Acting on a tip-off, officers busted a suspected human trafficking syndicate and rescued 70 victims who had been locked inside a house in Ruai, Nairobi.
“The victims include 66 Ethiopians and 4 Eritreans. One Kenyan suspect was arrested in connection with the case,” KPS stated.
KPS urged the public to stay vigilant and report any suspicious activity of human trafficking to authorities.
“Human trafficking is a serious crime. The public is urged to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to authorities,” added the service.
This comes days after security officers at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) arrested four individuals in connection with immigration fraud and suspected human trafficking.
In the first incident, officers intercepted a suspect who was traveling to Amsterdam after detecting irregularities in his travel documents during routine checks.
Investigations led to the arrest of another suspect, who is alleged to have facilitated the travel arrangement for the first accused.
Police officers in a separate incident nabbed a Sudanese national who was traveling to the United Kingdom after immigration officers discovered he had a forged UK residence permit.
A Kenyan national, alleged to have facilitated the travel arrangements using fraudulent documentation, was later arrested by detectives.
