Five Chinese nationals arrested on national security threat suspicion

Five Chinese nationals have been arrested in Lavington, Nairobi with items that the Immigration Department believes pose a threat to national security.

In a post on its official twitter handle, the Immigration Department said it had recovered the items in question which include radio calls, military uniform, laptops and metal detectors among others.

The Immigration Department said that the five Chinese nationals will be detained to allow for authorities to carry out the necessary investigations.

This comes after Industrialization and Trade Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya temporarily suspended two Chinese firms for failing to inspect goods imported into Kenya on October 4.

’In the face of significant non-performance, the government has suspended activities of the two companies. The bans take immediate effect and have been instituted to enable the affected companies put in place corrective measures.’’ said CS Munya.

Operations of the two firms; China Certification and Inspections Group Company (CCIC) and Société Générale de Surveillance SA (SGS), were halted for allowing contraband goods into the country.

BREAKING!
5 Chinese nationals arrested in Lavington with a number of items recovered that are believed to be a threat to our National Security. More info coming up shortly. #AskImmigrationKE cc. @InteriorKE @FredMatiangi @GKihalangwa pic.twitter.com/92DKM4uVIE

— Immigration Kenya. (@ImmigrationDept) October 5, 2018

On September 19, Immigration deported fifteen Chinese nationals who were found at a brothel in South C in Nairobi engaging in prostitution.

Immigration said the 15 were busted in a joint operation conducted by the department’s officers and detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).

BREAKING:
15 Chinese were arrested by Immigration officers @DCI_Kenya this morning in South C estate BROTHEL, it's believed they have been engaging in Prostitution. They are being processed for deportation. Cc. @GKihalangwa @InteriorKE #AskImmigrationKE @TheStarKenya pic.twitter.com/R4bmu5DWRV

— Immigration Kenya. (@ImmigrationDept) September 19, 2018

On September 6, Immigration also deported a Chinese man identified as Liu Jiaqi for making racist comments against Kenyans and President Uhuru Kenyatta.

“His work permit has been cancelled and (he) will be deported on racism grounds,” the immigration service said on its handle.

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Mr. Jiaqi had in a video that went viral on social media made a flurry of racist comments against Kenyans in an argument with his employer which seemed to suggest that he did not want to be in the country in the first place and was only here to make money.

“Every one. Every Kenyan… like a monkey, even Uhuru Kenyatta. All of them,” Mr. Jiaqi said.

UPDATE:
LIU JIAQI a Chinese National who was arrested due to his RACISM remarks has been DEPORTED . Via @GKihalangwa cc. @InteriorKE @FredMatiangi #AskImmigrationKE pic.twitter.com/yHJu3azx2i

— Immigration Kenya. (@ImmigrationDept) September 6, 2018

The crackdown on Chinese nationals shows a growing change of stance within government, which has reportedly been allowing them to engage in all manner of activities in the country.

The government has been cracking down on foreign nationals residing or working in the country without requisite permits and Chinese nationals have not been spared in the exercise.

China has been Kenya’s foremost bilateral partner pumping billions of shillings into infrastructural projects in the country.

There have been previous reports of the existence of Chinese criminal networks, which have been linked to human trafficking, prostitution, loan-sharking, gambling, murder and gun smuggling have set up base in the country.

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