[EDITORIAL] Human trafficking: The public must do more to fight the vice

Rwanda National Police (RNP) intercepted three Burundian women who were allegedly being trafficked to Saudi Arabia through Rwanda. The victims, all mothers, were intercepted at Akanyaru border post on July 16, as they crossed into Rwanda. A Kenyan national identified as Asman Macharia Wakira was arrested by Police in connection to the trafficking. Like many victims of human trafficking, the women were lured with promises of a better life and good jobs in Saudi Arabia forcing them to abandon their own children. But the victims did not carry out due diligence to establish who was behind their promised jobs and why it was being done discreetely. Human trafficking is a global problem involving several players, fighting it requires more effort from the public and law enforcement agencies. What makes human trafficking hard to detect is because in most cases the perpetrators are known to the victims- usually friends and relatives. Even if it is a friend or relative promising you a nice job, and only asking you to process travel documents, you should be suspicious and immediately alert the authorities. The motives of human traffickers are always sinister. In most cases, people who are trafficked to countries mostly in the middle East, always end up in serious problems like being subjected to sexual exploitation and slavery. There is no success story from people who have been trafficked, the world over. However, for this vice to be stamped out, the public must work closely with law enforcement agencies like Police. Rwanda National Police in collaboration with other security agencies across the globe has tried to make Rwanda a hard place for traffickers to find a safe haven. However, the support of the public will go a long way in consolidating this achievement.

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[EDITORIAL] Human trafficking: The public must do more to fight the vice