BY SAM ALFAN.
Businessman to lose four Toyotas and a Nissan Caravan suspected to be used by criminal network involved in trafficking citizens of one of the countries in East Africa.
This is after court allowed state to seize five vehicles suspected to be used by a criminal network involved in the trafficking of Ethiopians to countries such as Tanzania and South Africa.
Justice James Wakiaga directed Kamau to surrender the original logbooks of the vehicles and for the Director General of the National Transport and Safety Authority to register caveats on the vehicles.
The court also ordered a freeze of about Sh400,000 held in three accounts belonging to the suspects, which is believed to be proceeds of the illegal trade.
ARA says the five vehicles were acquired using funds derived from the illegitimate activities of human trafficking.
This is was after one of the suspects, Peter Mugi Kamau, was arrested in October last year harbouring 22 Ethiopians.
Kamau was subsequently charged before a Kiambu court as the agency commenced investigations to recover funds and assets acquired the illegal trade of trafficking in persons.
According to ARA, Investigations established that Kamau devised complex criminal network of deceiving, enticing, trafficking, transporting and harboring vulnerable persons through international organized criminal network for purposes of exploiting and obtaining gain or profits from the victims of human trafficking,
“The Agency received information that the respondent acquired funds and assets or properties using the proceeds obtained from the illegal trafficking in persons suspected to be proceeds of crime contrary,” ARA told the court.
Kamau was arrested on October 7 last year and a search conducted at a house in Umoja estate Mwihoko in Githurai Kimbo, found 22 Ethiopians who were to be ferried to various destinations.
The agency said it believes the 22 Ethiopian national are victims of trafficking in persons and were being held illegally by Kamau.
During the arrest, one of the vehicles was impounded and further probe revealed that some of the vehicles are registered to one of the kingpins being followed.
