Police nab man over human trafficking

Moshi. A person believed to be behind alleged human trafficking has been arrested in Rombo District near the Kenyan border, reliable sources have told this newspaper.

The person (name withheld), reported to be a Burundi national, was seized from a guest house at the Tarakea border town on suspicion of facilitating entry of illegal aliens into the country.

It is believed that the illegal immigrants are later escorted secretly across the country to various exit points for their intended destinations, mainly South Africa and later on to other countries overseas.

Sources said the alleged suspect confessed to being the leader of a syndicate which has over the years facilitated illegal entry and exit of aliens from the Horn of Africa through Tanzania.

Kilimanjaro regional immigration officer Johannes Msumule told The Citizen that the Burundi national was arrested on Monday evening at a guest house within the border town.

He is reported to have been found in the company of 10 illegal immigrants from Ethiopia following a tip off from Good Samaritans. They were nabbed at 7.15 pm near the Kenyan border which is only a few metres from the town. Sources said security officials who stormed the guest house were forced to break the doors of two rooms where the immigrants were locked to conceal their mission.

The owner of the accommodation facility was nowhere to be seen but police later arrested his wife who, according to one official, divulged more information on human trafficking across the border.

“She cooperated and revealed more information on how the syndicate has been operating. We are now working on the information which is invaluable and could help us stamp out the problem”, he added. Another official hinted that it would now be easy to track down human traffickers because of information they continue to receive from members of the public, especially residents living in the border areas.

Other sources said two vehicles used in transporting illegal aliens after entering the country have been seized and three guest houses where the immigrants were being accommodated have been identified.

The regional immigration officer added that his officials and the police were hunting down the owner of the guest house. He said that if he is not arrested, his wife would be arraigned in court for hosting illegal aliens.