KAMPALA. Operatives of the Flying Squad Unit (FSU) have arrested two Kenyan nationals for trafficking four Eritreans.
Mr Herbert Muhangi, FSU commandant, confirmed that two suspects of Kenyan origin were intercepted in Iganga District following a tipoff.
Police said a road block was mounted a few metres to Iganga town where a Premio vehicle was seized containing two women and two men of Eritrean origin and a Kenyan driver, identified as, Mr Edwin Ainok Amuse.
“We interrogated the driver and he told us he was to transport them to Kabalagala on his boss’ orders. He identified his boss as [Mr] David Bahati and we asked him to call his boss. When the said boss came, we arrested him,” Mr Muhangi said.
The Eritreans were reportedly brought to Uganda to reunite with their relatives living in Kabalagala, Kampala.
They further revealed that they had fled their country because of unfavourable political, economic and social conditions.
“These people did not have travel documents but their destination was Kabalagala. We have established that their relatives were aware of the move and they were waiting for them. They had collaborated with these Kenyans to sneak them into Uganda,” Mr Muhangi said.
Mr Muhangi said Mr Ainok and Mr Bahati are currently detained at Nalufenya, a high profile detention facility in Jinja District.
“The two have told us that trafficking persons has been their job for some time now and this is the first time they’re being arrested. We are questioning them to help us understand which other people they sneaked in or out of Uganda,” he said.
Police said their case file was sent to Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and he had advised that suspects be treated as criminals because they were doing it for money gains whereas the victims be registered as asylum seekers and be handed over to refugee desk at Officer of the Prime Minister (OPM).
