Nairobi News

Police in Nairobi on Monday arrested 41 Ethiopians from a house in Baraka estate, Mihango while being smuggled to South Africa. Two suspects, who police believe are the ones behind human smuggling, were also arrested at the scene.

According to the police, the two, a Kenyan and an Ethiopian, have been linked to many other smuggling rackets in the country.

The 41 foreigners, who did not have any documents with them when they were arrested, had been crumbled in two rooms.

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“The victims did not have documents to qualify for their status in the country and were on transit. They had been there for four days while waiting to be driven out to the next unknown destination,” police said in a statement.

The Ethiopians and the smugglers are expected in court at Kahawa West with the police seeking their deportation, while the two suspects will face smuggling-related charges, said Mutonyi.

There have been previous cases of Ethiopians being arrested in the country enroute to Tanzania and South Africa.

Last year alone, more than a dozen Ethiopians nationals were arrested in Karagita estate of Kayole Nairobi for being in the country illegally. At the time, the police said the foreigners were arrested in an intelligence-led operation.

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Officers on patrol received information that suspicious people were seen crossing the Ngong River heading to Karagita estate.

A search was conducted and nine Ethiopian aliens were found in the country without any documentation.

In Kitengela, Kajiado County, 91 Ethiopians were arrested for being in the country illegally during a crackdown. The suspects, 41 of whom were juveniles, were arrested while awaiting to be smuggled to another country. They had attempted to escape from the captive area when the officers arrested them.

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