This archive report was first published on 3 January 2022.
On January 3, 2022, Kenyan authorities extradited a Dutch national, John Habeta, 53, of Eritrean descent, suspected of leading an international human smuggling syndicate.
Habeta was arrested in Nairobi following a covert operation by the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) after an Interpol Red Notice was issued for his arrest.
According to the DCI, Habeta was at the helm of an international human smuggling organization responsible for trafficking human beings from Africa to Europe.
Authorities have linked him to at least four different operations where groups of Eritrean nationals were smuggled to Europe through Asia.
DCI boss George Kinoti stated that immediately after his arrest, Habeta was extradited to the Netherlands on orders from the Ministry of Interior, as his presence in the country was deemed contrary to the country's national interests.
The Dutch national will remain in custody in the Netherlands, where he will face trial.
Through constant intelligence sharing between Nairobi's Interpol National Central Bureau and the support of Interpol's General Secretariat headquarters, the DCI aims to make Kenya an unfavourable haven for international fugitives.
