Four hundred illegal immigrants have been arrested after police smashed a human trafficking syndicate in North Eastern Province.
Provincial police boss Phillip Ndwiga said the immigrants were netted in Garissa, Mandera, Ijara and Wajir border districts during a weeklong crackdown on human trafficking in the region.
Mr Ndwiga told the Press in his office yesterday that initial investigations showed the immigrants were from the Somali port town of Kismayu and had used the border points of Liboi in Garissa, Elwak in Mandera, Hulugho in Ijara and Diif in Wajir to enter the country illegally.
He said unscrupulous Kenyan traders were colluding with corrupt border police and immigration officials in the smuggling racket at all entry points and vowed that government officers engaging in corruption would be sacked and prosecuted.
The police boss revealed that a specialised unit comprising regular, the Administration Police, immigration and Customs officials has been formed to combat human trafficking in the region following the recommendations of the Provincial Security and Intelligence committee, which last year said it was shocked at the ease with which foreigners enter Kenya without permission.
More than 2,000 Somalis, who were fleeing weeks of heavy fighting in central and southern regions of the war torn country, crossed into the country last month fleeing weeks of heavy fighting in central and southern regions of the war torn country and are staying at the Dadaab Refugee Camp in Garissa District.
“A racket exists where some foreigners are colluding with locals to enter the country using fake waiting cards, which are given to applicants before they are issued with national identity cards,” said Mr Ndwiga.
He said at least 21 Somali refugees from Dadaab camp were yesterday arrested at the Garissa-Tana police bridge barrier aboard a Nairobi-bound bus with fake travelling documents.
“Garissa-Tana barrier is a major conduit for foreigners and terrorists. Aliens locally known as Mbuzi are usually smuggled past the barrier in an elaborate syndicate involving immigration officials, police officers manning the bridge and local transporters,” he said. | 
