A Dutch national has been arrested and deported after smuggling dozens of men, women and children to Europe.
53-year-old John Habeta has been on the Netherlands Wanted list since 2017. He was apprehended by Kenyan authorities on December 16 and remained in custody until Christmas Day when he was deported.
Officials said his arrest was part of a coordinated operation between authorities in the Netherlands and Kenya with the support of Interpol.
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“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 said.
“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.”
The Interpol National Central Bureau (NCB) in The Hague alerted the Kenyan NCB on Mr Habeta’s presence in Nairobi on December 10.
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Interpol’s specialized unit on migrant smuggling and human trafficking identified the fugitive as a high priority target in October 2020.
The organization said that the subsequent issue of the Red Notice played a central role in the location and arrest of the fugitive.
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