{A seventeen year old boy returned home safely after escaping from a suspected human trafficking agent in Uganda, who masquerades as a Rwandan Church Pastor. }
The boy’s escape and safe return was aided by Rwanda National Police (RNP) in partnership with the Rwanda’s High Commission in Uganda.
The victim, names withheld, said that he was trafficked in last December through a porous border, alongside other nine victims, who are still believed to be in captivity in Uganda.
“He deceived us that he was taking us to Kampala to participate in a fellowship, which we unknowingly believed,” the boy said.
“After some time without any indication that we would return to Rwanda, I became suspicious of the pastor’s intentions. I decided to stealthily approach and narrate our story to some people, who advised me to get assistance from the Rwandan High Commission in Uganda, who helped me to reunite with my family,” he added.
He was returned and reunited with his mother in Kamonyi District, on April 15, after four months of separation.
Police Spokesperson, Chief Superintendent Celestin Twahirwa, told journalists on April 15 that the fake Pastor intended to register the victims in Uganda as refugees through the UN High Commission for Refugees.
RNP, he said, is now in advanced cooperation stages with their counterparts in Uganda to apprehend the alleged suspect, who is said to be in hiding in Uganda, and to also rescue other nine human trafficking victims he is believed to be still holding.
“It is suspected that this man intended to use this strategy to get the victims asylum in different European countries, where he would eventually traffic them for various illegal activities including prostitution and forced labor,” CSP Twahirwa said.
The victims, he said, include both boys and girls.
“Investigations are still ongoing to arrest the suspect or any other person involved in this crime and also ensure that the other victims are safely reunited with their families.”
“Criminals involved in this scourge of human trafficking always masquerade as good people with good intentions, yet in reality they have personal evil motives. We will continue to work with regional and international security agencies to fight such transnational crimes,” he said.
“Rwanda cant neither be a source, transit route nor a destination for human trafficking victims or other criminals; we will continue to work with our counterparts in other countries to ensure that such criminals are brought to justice to answer for their injustices.”
He reminded the general public to always provide information that can be used in investigations and also be on the lookout for any forms of human trafficking in the community.
Human trafficking is not an intense crime in Rwanda, although RNP maintains that the few cases are given the weight they deserve.
The force embarked on training more officers under an Interpol initiative dubbed ‘Smuggling Training and Operations Programme (STOP)’ which seeks to improve management of borders against human trafficking and other trans-national crimes like drugs smuggling.
The extension of the Interpol communication tool, I-24/7 to all outlets is also meant to deal with such cross-border crimes in partnership with other 192 member countries of the international police organisation.
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