Nine Ethiopians arrested in Voi for being in Kenya illegally

The suspects who were nabbed attempted to flee the scene

In Summary

• Police said they were patrolling the Caltex area along the Nairobi-Mombasa highway before stumbling on the car that carried the nine Ethiopians.

• The arrest of the nine comes barely a week after eleven other Ethiopians were arrested in a house in Kayole, Nairobi.

Image: FILE

Nine Ethiopians were arrested on Saturday by police officers in Voi after failing to provide proper documentation.

Police who were on night patrol noticed a suspicious motor vehicle within the Caltex area along the Nairobi-Mombasa highway.

The occupants of the Toyota Probox on noticing the police officers sped off towards Mwatate in a bid to lose the police trail but were derailed by a lorry that had mechanical issues on the road.

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The police caught up with the car and conducted a search of the motor vehicle which led to the discovery of the nine aliens who were all arrested.

The car was escorted to the police station and the case is now pending before the court.

The arrest of the nine comes barely a week after eleven other Ethiopians were last week arrested in a house in Kayole, Nairobi, as they waited to be smuggled out of the country to South Africa.

George Mutonya, the Head of the Transnational Organized Crime Unit who spoke during the arrest of the 11, said the police were looking for those responsible for human smuggling.

He also urged everyone to use proper channels while entering the country.

“We urge those coming here to try and use legal methods. They can register as refugees for processing or obtain other legal documents,” Mutonya said.

Last month the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji revealed plans to set up a prosecution training institute that would enhance capacity in tackling transnational organised crime.

The institute would also be available to other African countries and help in developing enhanced formal and informal cooperation mechanisms.

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