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0 Police has rescued 29 trafficked girls from Burundi and arrested five suspects.
Trafficking of girls is one of the dehumanizing crimes that is a associated with sexual and labour exploitation, said Charles Twine, the spokesperson of Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID).
He said police bust a racket of people who have been allegedly trafficking girls from Burundi through Uganda to the Middle East.
The girls were reportedly being transported for domestic labour.
The five suspects, all Burundi nationals, have been trafficking the girls through Mutukula border via Kampala to Entebbe airport.
Their arrest came after police received a complaint from officials at Burundi Embassy in Uganda about a group of girls who were being trafficked.
“After getting the information, we opened up a case file at Old Kampala Police Station and investigations commenced,” Twiine said.
He said during the investigations, a key suspect with a passport was arrested with two girls at Kab Hotel on Martin Road, downtown Kampala.
Upon interrogation, the suspect confessed to participating in the trafficking of girls.
The suspect led police officers to Bulenga, Wakiso District, to a residence where 30 victims were found.
The girls were all transported to the CID headquarters.
“We are going to examine the victims medically to establish their health and mental fitness and also ascertain allegations that they were being harassed sexually,” Twiine said.
The suspects were being detained at Old Kampala Police Station.
“There is information that some of the trafficked persons are victims of involuntary organ removal and according to the UN alert, a kidney costs $26,200 (Shs113.4m), heart $119,000 (Shs515.4m) and liver $157,000 (Shs680m),” he added.
