Six Arrested as DCI Rescues Three Indian Nationals in Suspected Human Trafficking Ring in Ruiru
The three rescued victims have been placed under protective custody and are receiving medical and psychological support as investigations continue.
Photo: DCI.
By Robert Mutasi
Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have arrested six suspects and rescued three Indian nationals in a suspected human trafficking case in Ruiru, Kiambu County.
According to a statement from the DCI, the three Indians had been reported missing after arriving in Kenya on August 5, 2026, through the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
They were traced to a two-bedroom house in Ruiru’s Fort Jesus area following intelligence-led investigations by detectives from the Operations Support Unit (OSU).
Preliminary investigations established that after being cleared at JKIA, the trio left the airport in a taxi that had allegedly been arranged by their receiver, who was waiting for them in Ruiru. They were subsequently taken to the house, where they were allegedly held incommunicado, with no communication to the outside world.
Detectives raided the premises after days of surveillance and rescued the three victims, who were found locked inside the house under tight watch.
Those arrested during the operation are Avtar Singh, an Indian national; Ali Khashif and Syed Shujaat Hussein, both Pakistani nationals; and Stephen Karomo and Damaris Katulu Daudi, both Kenyans. A Kenyan minor, who was allegedly working as a house help at the premises, was also found at the house and is being treated as a person of interest and a potential victim.
During preliminary interrogation, the suspects claimed they were assisting the three Indian nationals to travel to Italy via Ethiopia, raising suspicion that the group is part of a larger transnational human smuggling and trafficking syndicate.
Police sources say the suspects could not provide valid travel documents or a clear explanation of how the three Indians were to be moved to Europe, nor why they were being held incommunicado in a residential house instead of a recognized travel facility.
The three rescued victims have been placed under protective custody and are receiving medical and psychological support as investigations continue.
DCI said investigations are ongoing to establish the full activities of the six suspects, identify their accomplices, and determine their possible links to an international human trafficking network operating between Asia, Kenya, and Europe.
“The suspects are also being processed for arraignment,” the DCI said in a statement, adding that detectives are also investigating whether the same house has been used to hold other foreign nationals in the past.
The case comes amid a rise in human trafficking cases where Kenya is used as a transit route for migrants from South Asia seeking to reach Europe through illegal channels.
Authorities have urged members of the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities involving foreign nationals being held in residential houses.
The six suspects are expected to be arraigned in court later this week to face charges related to human trafficking, conspiracy, and child labour, once investigations are complete.
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