Kenyan police rescue foreign nationals from trafficking ring

The raid in Nairobi’s Ruai area has freed 66 Ethiopians and 4 Eritreans, with one suspect arrested

Kenyan police rescued 70 foreign nationals during a raid on a suspected human trafficking operation in Nairobi, the police press service reported on Thursday. 

The victims were found locked inside a house in the Ruai area of Nairobi, according to the statement. The raid followed information from members of the public about suspicious activity in the building. 

“The victims include 66 Ethiopians and 4 Eritreans. One Kenyan suspect was arrested in connection with the case,” the Kenya Police Service said in a statement posted on X.

The Nairobi raid is part of Kenya’s broader efforts to combat human trafficking and immigration fraud. 

Kenyan authorities intercepted two people suspected of involvement in human trafficking and immigration fraud at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on February 7. 

The Kenya Police Service explained that officers stopped a traveler bound for Amsterdam who was carrying a forged visa. In a separate incident, a Sudanese national travelling to the UK was detained after being found with a fake British residence permit. Police also arrested facilitators suspected of being involved in the schemes. 

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In June, Kenyan President William Ruto explicitly warned that criminal networks, including human traffickers, are becoming increasingly sophisticated and “pose serious and escalating risks.” 

“Their perpetrators operate through shadowy transnational networks, often facilitated by social media, encrypted communications, and even cryptocurrency,” Ruto said. 

The recent cases in Kenya are part of a wider issue of human trafficking across Africa. 

In October, Ghanaian authorities arrested three Nigerian nationals suspected of running a human trafficking network. Seven victims were rescued during the operation. A month earlier, around 60 individuals, both foreigners and Ghanaians, who had been exploited in sexual and cybercrime schemes, were rescued. 

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Similarly, in May, police in Uganda detained five Congolese nationals suspected of trafficking 19 children across the border to refugee camps. The suspects were questioned locally, and authorities urged parents to ensure that their children were not being sent away with strangers.