Sudanese police arrests child traffickers in Kassala and Khartoum

June 16, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese police have freed five children from a child trafficking network in the eastern Sudan state of Kassala. Also, the Police arrested suspects in Khartoum in connection with this network, which smuggles children into Libya

Sudan is considered as a country of origin and transit for the illegal migration and human trafficking. Thousands of people from Eritrea and Ethiopia are monthly crossing the border into the Sudanese territories on their way to Europe through Libya or Egypt.

On Wednesday Police in Kassala announced that five children at the age of 15 years were on their way to Libya via Khartoum.

The Family and Child Unit Director, Colonel Amad Ahmed al-Tayeb, and the members of security committee in Kassla State attended the police press conference.

The children were attempting to leave Kassala without informing their families, according to Colonel Amad Ahmed al-Tayeb.

Colonel al-Tayeb added that the police managed to foil their plan after being informed by the Bus Association about the presence of several children seeking to quit the state.

He said interrogation revealed that the traffickers were in contact with a child trafficking network in Khartoum which was arrested as well.

The police official further said that the suspect had previously trafficked children below 18 years old.

Eastern Sudan in particular is believed to be serving as a passage for illegal immigration to Europe for Eritrean, Ethiopian and Somali nationals with the help of human smugglers.

Last week, Sudan, Italy and the United Kingdom said they arrested in Khartoum an Eritrean man suspected of controlling one of the world’s four largest criminal immigration trafficking organizations.

In January 2014, the Sudanese parliament approved an anti-human trafficking law which punishes those involved with human trafficking with up to 20 years imprisonment.