Roundup: Kenyan police rescue 8 Eritreans in human trafficking racket
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E-mail Xinhua, March 31, 2019
ISIOLO, Kenya, March 31 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan police said Sunday they have rescued eight Eritreans aged between 17 and 31 years who are believed to be victims of human trafficking in Isiolo County in eastern Kenya.
The detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) managed to intercept a vehicle, which they were being ferried in at Wamba Junction in Isiolo County.
"Three suspects - Alhabass Ali, Abdi Hassan and Ibrahim Adan were arrested while one escaped and two vehicles were detained," DCI said.
The move comes after the police arrested two suspects -Mohamed Ismail Ibrahim and Ali Ibrahim Barow on suspicion of being part of a racket that is involved in making false travel documents.
After investigations, several Kenyan, Somali and Ethiopian passports were recovered at a hotel in Eastleigh residential estate in Nairobi, said police, adding that the men are part of a larger group that smuggles migrants from the region to other countries.
This came two days after another suspected human trafficking ring was busted in Ruiru, Kiambu County, central Kenya.
A total of 25 Burundians were rescued and three Kenyan women arrested. The victims aged between 24 to 33 years were apparently held hostage pending transit to Asian countries including Thailand.
Detectives from the Transnational Organized Crime raided a private home and rescued the 25 female victims most of whom say they are escaping poor treatment in their countries and go to Asia to seek for jobs.
This is the latest operation targeting foreigners who are on transit. Most of the arrested are from Ethiopia.
Several Ethiopians are annually arrested in Kenya while on transit and later deported. Most of those arrested come to Kenya to seek for jobs or are on transit.
The authorities have intensified the ongoing crackdown on undocumented migrant workers that have seen homes raided and hundreds of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers arrested around the country.
The country's immigration department has set up a hotline number for citizens to report irregular migrants in their neighborhoods and the authorities' actions have mostly affected refugees and asylum seekers. Enditem
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