25 Burundians women en route to Asia found in Ruiru, three arrested

Police on Thursday thwarted an attempt to smuggle 25 Burundians to Asia and arrested three suspected traffickers in Ruiru, Kiambu County.

The detectives from the Transnational Organized Crime raided the home of Nicholas Mugambi Waigwa and found the 25 women from Burundi.

The women, all aged between 24 years and 33 years, were being held hostage at the said home in Gwa-Kairu in Kiambu County pending transit to Asian countries, police have said.

The suspected smugglers are expected in court.

Most of the women say they are escaping poor treatment in their country and wanted to go to Asia to look for jobs.

This is the latest operation targeting foreigners who are on transit.  Data from police records show that most of those arrested are from Ethiopia.

Police and immigration officials have decried increased cases in which Ethiopian aliens are nabbed in the country while on transit to either Tanzania or South Africa.

The officers say they face difficulties in dealing with the aliens because they cannot speak Swahili or English.

Smuggling boom

The cases of human smuggling have been on the rise in the region with hundreds of young men and women from Ethiopia finding their way into South Africa through Kenya in search of employment.

What is puzzling is how the immigrants manage to evade many police roadblocks mounted from Moyale border as they travel to Nairobi. There are more than 20 roadblocks on the stretch, which raises the seriousness of the security agents to tame the practice.

Some officials say the crime happens out of collusion between security agencies and the smugglers.