Twelve Ethiopians Seized At Border

The Nation (Nairobi)

NEWS

July 1, 2002

Posted to the web July 1, 2002

Twelve Ethiopian refugees have been arrested on the Isiolo - Wajir border as they attempted to sneak into the country.

Police manning the border intercepted them at Arba-Jan Trading centre 100 km from Wajir Town as they travelled in a truck bearing a foreign registration number plate. They are being held at Wajir Police Station.

North Eastern Provincial Commissioner Mohammud Swaleh said foreigners entered the country through panya routes on their way to Nairobi where they faked passports and visas, before flying to Europe to seek refugee status.

The PC also confirmed the arrested immigrants showed the security personnel's unstamped Ethiopians passports but quickly added that the national security intelligent stationed at Wajir were verifying the validity of the documents.

The PC said the immigrants will appear in court, charged with being illegally in the country, upon completion of investigation by the state.

Global Media (allAfrica.com).