Very Ruthless! Police Bust Human Trafficking Ring Luring Victims With Fake Jobs In Russia

By Our Reporter

Kenyan police say they have rescued more than 20 people from a suspected human trafficking network that was luring job seekers with promises of lucrative employment in Russia but intended to send them to fight in Ukraine.

The operation followed an intelligence-led raid on a residential apartment in Athi River, on the outskirts of Nairobi, where detectives recovered recruitment materials, travel documents, and fake job offer letters.

A key suspect, accused of coordinating the victims’ travel to Russia in September and October, was arrested and arraigned in court. He has been remanded for 10 days to allow police to complete investigations.

Authorities revealed that 22 Kenyans were found in the apartment “awaiting processing to Russia.” The victims told investigators that they had signed contracts with a shadowy overseas employment agency, committing to pay as much as $18,000 (UGX 70 million) for visas, travel, accommodation, and other logistics. Some had already paid deposits of up to $1,500.

Police described the operation as the work of a “mysterious trafficking syndicate” preying on desperate job seekers. Once recruited, many are dispatched to Ukraine under the guise of employment in Moscow. Survivors report returning home injured, traumatized, or, in some cases, not returning at all. Two Kenyans are said to have recently made it back, with one now hospitalized in Nairobi.

The case has intensified concerns over the rising number of Kenyans trafficked abroad under false job promises. Just weeks ago, a young Kenyan athlete was captured in Ukraine after claiming he had been tricked into joining the Russian army.

Kenya’s foreign ministry has acknowledged ongoing reports of nationals trafficked to Russia and subsequently held as prisoners of war in Ukraine. According to Petro Yatsenko, Ukraine’s spokesperson on the treatment of prisoners of war, citizens from Somalia, Sierra Leone, Togo, Cuba, Sri Lanka, and other nations are also currently being held in Ukrainian camps.

However, Yatsenko noted that “most African states show little interest in the return of such citizens and do not wish to take them back.”

Authorities say Wednesday’s raid was part of a coordinated multi-agency crackdown on the trafficking network, which has been extorting huge sums of money from vulnerable Kenyans desperate for employment abroad.