Two girls who were reported missing in Meru County have been rescued in Mashuuru, Kajiado County, after detectives foiled what is believed to have been a cross-border trafficking attempt.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said the intelligence-led operation also resulted in the arrest of three suspects who are now in police custody pending arraignment.
The DCI noted that the girls, aged 13 and 14, disappeared from their homes in Meru County on separate occasions, leaving their families searching for answers.
Suspected child traffickers. Photo: Courtesy.
The cases were first reported at Kariene Police Station before detectives from DCI Imenti Central took over the investigations and launched efforts to trace the missing minors.
Working jointly with officers from the Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau (CRIB) and DCI Mashuuru, detectives followed intelligence leads to a house in Moi Township, Mashuuru, where the girls were found.
According to the DCI, the officers rescued the two minors just moments before they were allegedly due to be ferried across the Kenya-Tanzania border.
The operation also led to the arrest of three suspects identified as Magdalene Mwikali Miya, Emmanuel Stephen Leiyan and Deoglacious Damas, a Tanzanian national.
The DCI further revealed that Damas was found to be in Kenya without valid immigration documents.
The three suspects are currently in police custody undergoing processing before they are arraigned in court.
Meanwhile, the rescued girls are undergoing medical examinations and assessments by the Children’s Officer as detectives continue investigating the circumstances surrounding their disappearance.
The DCI further disclosed that investigators are working to establish the full details of the case, including whether more people were involved in the suspected cross-border plot.
