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A man who has been on the run for four years for operating an international human smuggling syndicate, is currently behind bars in The Netherlands. John Habeta, 53, a Dutch national of Eritrean descent was arrested in Kenya following a covert operation by DCI detectives, after an INTERPOL Red Notice alert was issued for his arrest.
In a well coordinated operation between authorities in Netherlands and our detectives based at the fugitives and wanted persons division at the regional INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB), the suspect was arrested in Nairobi where he had been hiding for an unspecified period.
Habeta is believed to be at the helm of an international human smuggling organization that operates in the underworld, 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.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 our national interest.
The Dutch national will remain in custody in The Netherlands, where he will face trial. The INTERPOL National Central Bureau based at our headquarters is putting such criminals on notice, that Kenya is not a safe haven for international fugitives.
Through constant intelligence sharing between Nairobi’s NCB and the support of INTERPOL’s General Secretariat headquarters, such criminals will find it very difficult to operate not only in Kenya but Africa at large.