Iringa. Police in Iringa Region have arrested two suspects linked to a job scam syndicate targeting youths, rescuing 75 victims in the process.
Iringa Regional Police Commander, Mr Allan Bukumbi, said on April 2, 2026 that the arrests were made during a special operation aimed at curbing criminal activities in the region.
The suspects were identified as Jackson Kalu (26), a resident of Bahi in Dodoma Region, and Michael Mfuse (32), a resident of Wanging’ombe in Njombe Region.
Mr Bukumbi said Mr Mfuse was arrested while driving a BMW X1 which is believed to have been used in the operation. Police also recovered documents linked to a company identified as Q-NET.
In the operation, police rescued 75 victims, including 36 women and 39 men, most of them aged between 20 and 30 years.
The victims were recruited from several regions, including Dodoma, Mwanza, Lindi, Njombe, Mtwara and Mafia.
According to police, the suspects lured the youths with promises of employment opportunities within and outside the country before directing them to travel to Iringa.
“Upon arrival, they were enrolled in a training programme and required to pay between Sh600,000 and Sh4 million as registration and start-up fees,” said Mr Bukumbi.
He said that the victims were promised refunds and profits if they managed to recruit at least two more people into the scheme.
Preliminary investigations show that the victims were living in poor conditions, with some sharing rooms of more than 10 people while waiting for the promised jobs.
Police have called on parents and guardians whose children went missing after being promised employment to report to Iringa Central Police Station for identification.
Authorities have also urged the public to remain vigilant and verify job offers to avoid falling victim to similar scams.
