Four Cops Arrested, 37 Ethiopian Migrants Rescued In Sting Operation in Kiambu

Four police officers were arrested and 37 Ethiopians rescued on Tuesday February 20 after they were found in a house in Mwihoko, Kiambu county.

This is in relation to a case of human smuggling and trafficking involving the rescued Ethiopians, police said.

Three of the officers are from Pangani police station and are said to have been operating outside their jurisdiction without the knowledge of their commanders, according to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters.

The sting operation, conducted by detectives from the DCI’s Transnational Organized Crime Unit (TOCU), caught the officers unaware as two of them attempted to escape in vain.

An extended search was conducted in the adjacent plot after two men were seen jumping and it was established the two were police officers, police said.

Both were injured on the ankle in their futile attempts to escape.

It was then established that the two were- one from Githurai police station and another from Starehe (Pangani) patrol.

Both were armed with Beretta and Ceska pistols, respectively.

While the detectives were still at the scene, two other officers from Starehe –also arrived at the scene while accompanied by two other foreigners in a vehicle.

Both officers were armed with Ceska pistols and had arrested two other aliens who had been handcuffed, police said.

The owner of the house was yet to be traced.

The vehicle found at the scene and the other belonging to one of the officers were towed to Mwihoko police station as investigations continue.

The four officers were escorted to the DCI headquarters for further interrogation.

The incident amid police operations on suspected smuggling incidents.

This is the latest such incident to happen in the country.

The group said they were running from problems in their country and headed to South Africa, seeking greener pastures.

Police said most of the aliens use the Moyale route as they head to South Africa and the Middle East, oblivious of the dangers ahead.

Tens of aliens are often arrested in various places in the country as they wait to be moved to their next destinations.

Police and immigration officials have deplored increased cases of Ethiopian aliens nabbed in the country while in transit.

Officials from the Transnational Organised Crime Unit are conducting joint operations to deal with human smuggling.

Tens of Ethiopians and now Eritreans are annually arrested in Kenya while in transit and later deported.

Most of those arrested come to Kenya to seek jobs or are in transit.

What is puzzling is how the immigrants manage to evade many police roadblocks mounted from the Moyale border, which they use to Nairobi.