A Dutch national of Eritrean descent accused of operating an international smuggling syndicate has been arrested in Nairobi.
According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), 53-year-old John Habeta was arrested after a red alert was issued against him by INTERPOL.
According to the DCI, Habeta is believed to be at the helm of an international human smuggling organization that is responsible for trafficking of human beings from Africa to Europe.
He is linked to at least four different operations where groups of Eritrean nationals were smuggled into Europe through Asia
Habeta was arrested on December 16, 2021, in Nairobi in a joint operation by DCI detectives and INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB).
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He was taken into custody in Amsterdam, Netherlands on December 25 following his arrest and is expected to face trial.
"Immediately after his arrest, he was extradited to the Netherlands on orders from the Ministry of Interior, after the cabinet secretary Dr Fred Matiang,’i declared his presence in the country as contrary to the county’s national interests," DCI said on Twitter.
A Red Notice had been issued on December 10 for his arrest after INTERPOL raised alarm on the suspect’s presence in Kenya.
“INTERPOL’s specialized unit on migrant smuggling and human trafficking identified Habeta as a high priority target in October 2020 when member countries alerted INTERPOL to new leads about the fugitive’s global smuggling activities,” stated the police organization.
