Uganda Police intercept 12 Saudi bound girls at Entebbe Airport
Trafficking. Luggage of some of the youth who were recently intercepted before leaving the country. PHOTO BY STEPHEN OTAGE
Aviation Police and Immigration officials at Entebbe International Airport on Tuesday intercepted 12 young girls that were being trafficked to Saudi Arabia to work as maids.
The girls, all dressed in uniform (white T-shirts with Arabic writings) purporting to be a registered company whereas not, told police that they were recruited by Awali Umaru and some other individual only identified as Yasin, operating at Freedom City on Entebbe Road.
Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Patrick Onyango said the youth are being held at Entebbe Police Station as they hunt the recruiters on allegations of trafficking in persons.
“The youth were wearing T-shirts with Arabic writings and when we cross-checked, we found out that the company that recruited them is not among the list of authorised recruitment agencies. All the youth had a one-way ticket aboard Fly Emirates,” he said in a statement.
Police opened a general inquiry file to investigate circumstances under which these youth were recruited.
Mr Onyango urged the relatives of these girls, or anyone who knows any of them to help Police with further investigations.
