Law enforcement officers in Kenya working in collaboration with the International Criminal Police Organisation, Interpol, nabbed a wanted foreigner after a sting operation in the country.
The fugitive was on police radar over his alleged involvement in the smuggling of individuals to Europe in a human trafficking syndicate.
The foreigner was nabbed on December 16, after a dragnet was set following reports that he was in Kenya at the time.
The fugitive had been placed on red alert since 2017 for his involvement in the smuggling of men, women, and children with a wide network in Europe.
His presence in Kenya was discovered on December 10, forcing Interpol to issue an alert to the authorities.
The wanted foreign national had devised a well-choreographed plan to evade the police. He reportedly used to fake identity documents that kept him undercover for almost five years.
Reports from Interpol further revealed that the fugitive had extended his roots and operations with his syndicate gaining ground in other countries such as Eritrea. The latest information reveals that he had even started penetrating Asia.
He became a high priority target in October 2020, when the Netherlands issued a red notice that played a vital role in his arrest.
His international human trafficking syndicate focused on making profits, facilitating the passage of those smuggled with little regard for their safety during the process.
The police in collaboration with Interpol have been holding him as he awaits being charged with over eight counts of human trafficking among other charges.
“Acting on globally sourced Interpol intelligence leads, the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) in The Hague alerted the Kenyan NCB to the fugitive’s presence in Nairobi on 10 December,” Interpol stated.
The notice added, “An INTERPOL Red Notice – or international fugitive alert – was published the same day for people smuggling and use of fake identity documents to carry out transcontinental smuggling operations, triggering the suspect’s surveillance and arrest on the outskirts of the Kenyan capital.”
In most cases, traffickers usually prey on others' weaknesses, unfortunate circumstances, unfamiliarity, and inexperience. They are also trained to easily identify vulnerabilities in individuals before using their expertise to manipulate them gaining their total control.
This follows cases of increased instances of human trafficking majorly involving foreigners in the country.
His arrest follows another case involving a foreign national who was found dead in the country. The youthful entrepreneur, who founded a Ksh1.2 billion company while still a teenager, passed away while in Kenya.
Confirming Jake Millar's death, the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade noted that it was providing consular assistance to his family
“The ministry is aware of the tragic death of Jake Millar and is providing consular assistance to his family," read a statement from the Ministry.
Jake Millar, who was a New Zealand national, was the brains behind Unfiltered and Oompher companies, that he founded while in high school.
