Nairobi — Kenya in partnership with the government of Laos and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has rescued 24 Kenyans from trafficking cartels in Laos as more still trapped in Myanmar and Laos call for help.
Kenya’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the 24 were part of an unknown number of mostly young Kenyans suspected to be working in ‘fraud factories’ in South East Asia.
“More worrying is intelligence information that some of the factories may be facilities for extracting and storing human organs,” the Ministry said.
The rescue follows the recent release of 13 Kenyans held by traffickers in Myanmar.
“The influx of young and educated people is considered critical by the traffickers because of their ability to conduct cybercrimes,” the Ministry said.
The Ministry stated that the human trafficking menace once considered an endemic problem in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) had gone global.
The government warned Kenyans to stop applying for online jobs that are advertised in South East Asia without authenticating them citing that this exposed them to dangers including possibility of losing body organs.
“Public sensitization campaigns remain the best weapon to raise awareness and thereby reduce this new threat to the safety and well-being of Kenyans,” the Ministry said.
The Ministry disclosed that the Kenyans, like hundreds of other foreigners from the region, South Asia and Africa, are lured by irresistible adverts promising lucrative perks and easy work workloads.