Kenyan among 4,500 arrested in two-day Interpol operation
Inspector-General of Police Joseph Boinnet at a past event. Mr Boinnet, as the chairman of East Africa Police Chiefs Cooperation Organization, said Interpol's databases played an important role in the success of the operation dubbed Usalama III. PHOTO | DIANA NGILA | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Officers combed through Interpol’s global databases during the 48-hour operation.
- The Operation resulted in the recovery of more than 30 vehicles recorded stolen by Interpol, including from the United Kingdom and Malaysia.
- In addition to the rescue of human trafficking victims in Namibia, Rwanda and Uganda, drugs, guns, ammunition and gold were among other illicit goods seized during the operation.
A Kenyan is among 4,500 people arrested in an Interpol mission dubbed Operation Usalama III targeting human, drug and arms trafficking, terrorism, car theft and environmental crimes.
To address the wide-ranging crimes, Interpol deployed some 1,500 officers in 22 countries in eastern and southern Africa.
The Kenyan was among five men and a woman who were seized with 666 pieces of ivory worth over Sh200 million ($2 million) in Tanzania.
Led by the Eastern Africa Police Chiefs Cooperation Organization (EAPCCO) and the Southern African Regional Police Chiefs Cooperation Organization (SARPCCO), with support from Interpol, the two-day (June 29 and 30) operation involved officers from police, customs, immigration, wildlife agencies, counter-terrorism units and mining authorities.
Officers combed through Interpol’s global databases during the 48-hour operation, resulting in the recovery of more than 30 vehicles recorded stolen by Interpol, including from the United Kingdom and Malaysia.
SHARING INTELLIGENCE
“Access to Interpol’s databases played an important role in the success of the operation and again has shown the need for international information exchange.
"Operations like Usalama show what can be achieved when law enforcement agencies work closely together in combating transnational crime,” said EAPCCO chairman Joseph Boinnet, the Inspector-General of Kenya’s National Police Service.
Supported by Interpol’s regional bureaus in Nairobi and Harare, a number of pre-operational meetings were held to share intelligence on national and regional crime issues and to provide training on its capabilities used during the mission.
In addition to the rescue of human trafficking victims in Namibia, Rwanda and Uganda, drugs, guns, ammunition and gold were among other illicit goods seized during the operation.
In Rwanda, police seized cannabis, heroin and illegal fishing nets as well as 651 metres and 5.5 tonnes of copper cables and pylons valued at more than $23,000 (Sh2.3 million) either stolen from Rwanda Energy Group stores or taken after the vandalising of electricity infrastructure.
WILDLIFE CRIMES
Officers in Uganda destroyed 55 acres of cannabis plants and arrested six suspects in connection with a range of wildlife crimes after recovering 20kg of ivory, three tortoises, geese, 12 ostrich egg shells, leopard skins and other illicit animal products.
Seven guns and more than 300 rounds of ammunition were also seized.
“The positive outcome of Operation Usalama III is a true reflection of the importance of interregional and multilateral cooperation fighting organised and transnational crime,” said Julio Dos Santos Jane, SARPCCO chairman and general commander of the Mozambique Police.
SARPCCO member countries are Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
EAPCCO member countries are Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.
