Suspected Russian military recruiter arrested in Moyale

Police in Moyale, Marsabit county have arrested a 33-year-old man believed to be a key player in a human trafficking syndicate operating across borders. 

The suspect had been on the police radar for his alleged involvement in trafficking vulnerable individuals under the pretence of securing them employment in Europe.

He is believed to have been planning to leave the country through the porous Kenya-Ethiopia border when he was arrested on Wednesday. 

The suspect had also been mentioned as the key trafficker of Kenyans to Russia where some of them were lured to join the war against Ukraine.

However, upon arrival in foreign countries, some victims found themselves trapped in illegal and hazardous working conditions, stripped of their dignity, rights and safety. 

Police say the suspect is believed to be part of a wider criminal network that targets job seekers desperate for overseas opportunities.

Authorities are now pursuing additional leads to identify and apprehend other members of the syndicate. 

The suspect was detained for processing ahead of his arraignment in court. 

In a statement, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations reiterated its commitment to combating human trafficking and dismantling criminal networks that prey on vulnerable individuals. 

The DCI said through sustained intelligence-led operations and close multi-agency collaboration, it remains resolute in bringing perpetrators to justice and protecting unsuspecting victims from exploitation. 

Some of the Kenyans have so far been killed in the war while others are injured and in hospital.

Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi is expected to fly to Moscow to seek the return of the Kenyans.

A National Intelligence Service (NIS) dossier read to MPs on February 18, indicated that a stop order—a directive barring an individual from leaving the country—had been issued against the suspect for his alleged role in luring Kenyans to their death on the frontlines of the Russia-Ukraine war.

Kenya's spy agency told MPs that the suspect’s firm, while operating without a licence from the National Employment Agency, worked with unnamed individuals in Moscow to recruit at least 1,000 Kenyans to fight for Russia.

The report stated that the suspect, besides sourcing Kenyans to join the Russian military, facilitated their accommodation, traveling to Moscow and helped the recruits in opening bank accounts.

The signing bonus ranged from Sh910,000 to Sh1.2 million and attracted both police and military veterans.

There have been attempts by the authorities to prosecute him for the alleged jobs fraud and recruitment of Kenyans to the war frontline.