Kenya Deploys Specialised Unit to Combat Human Trafficking and Cross-Border Organised Crime

GOOBJOOG NEWS | NAIROBI: Kenya has deployed a specialised police unit to combat human trafficking, migrant smuggling and other forms of organised immigration crime, in what authorities describe as the first dedicated capability of its kind in East Africa.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said the 29-member Counter-Organised Immigration Crime Team (COICT) had completed advanced training and would be deployed to strategic border posts across the country to investigate criminal networks exploiting Kenya’s borders and immigration systems.

The unit, which operates under the DCI’s Serious Crime Unit, was officially commissioned on Thursday at the Border Police Training Campus in Kanyonyoo, Kitui County, by Director of Criminal Investigations Mohamed Amin on behalf of Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja.

Speaking during the deployment ceremony, Amin said the officers will focus on investigating human trafficking, migrant smuggling, travel document fraud and other transnational crimes that have become an increasing concern across East Africa, a region that serves as both a transit and destination point for irregular migration.

The specialised training was delivered under the East Africa Border Security Programme with support from the British High Commission in Nairobi and technical partners, including VALAR and HAART Kenya. Officers received instruction in intelligence-led investigations, financial and digital evidence analysis, crime scene management, international cooperation and victim-centred approaches.

Amin urged the officers to uphold professionalism, integrity and accountability, saying all investigations must be intelligence-driven, evidence-based and conducted in accordance with Kenya’s Constitution and the law.

He said the team had a dual responsibility to dismantle organised criminal networks while protecting the rights and dignity of victims, many of whom are vulnerable to exploitation by traffickers operating across national borders.

British High Commission representative Ben Fisher described the rapid establishment of the unit as a significant milestone in regional security cooperation, saying it demonstrated the strength of the Kenya–United Kingdom partnership in tackling organised crime.

Administration Police Director of Security Operations Jackson Kangani called on the officers to translate their training into tangible results through successful investigations, prosecutions and the rescue of trafficking victims.

The deployment comes as East African countries intensify efforts to counter transnational criminal networks involved in human trafficking, migrant smuggling, terrorism financing and document fraud. Kenya has expanded intelligence-sharing and border security cooperation with neighbouring states and international partners in response to increasingly sophisticated cross-border criminal operations.

Security analysts say specialised investigative units are becoming increasingly important as organised crime syndicates adapt to tighter border controls by using forged travel documents, digital communication platforms and complex financial networks to facilitate illicit activities across the region.