Security agencies in Malindi have arrested three terror suspects among them Ali Hussein Ali alias ‘trusted one’ belived to have links to ISIS and Al Shaabab terrorist network.
They were arrested during a sting operation in their hide out in Malindi on Wednesday.
Ali, a Somalia national from Mogadishu has been profiled over involvement in human smuggling and terrorism financing with networks in Tripoli, Libya.
He was arrested alongside his two accomplices; Ibrahim Abasheikh Mukhtar and Ali Mohamed Yusuf alias Dader.
Ali came to Kenya in 2010 disguising himself as a tourist but later moved to Tripoli in Libya where he was recruited as an ISIS agent and as an intermediary of Magafe criminal outfit based in Libya involved in human trafficking and terrorism.
When he left Kenya, he first went to South Africa, Sudan and connected to Tripoli. He came back into the country in November last year as an ISIS and Magafe agent.
“Ali, famously referred to as the ‘trusted one’ in the extensive Magafe network, played a key role in facilitating the travel and recruits from Kenya and Somalia to join ISIS in Libyaas well as facilitating illegal immigrants to enter Europe via Libya.” National Police Service spokesperson George Kinoti said.
He was arrested while demanding 639,000 US Dollars from his “boss” as commission payment for safely delivering terrorist recruits and illegal immigrants to their destinations in Libya.
“He facilitated the transfer of money linked to an ISIS network that traversed several countries including South Sudan, Sudan, Somalia, Dubai and Libya. The money is transferred through various countries before reaching Libya, in order to conceal the transactional trail,” Kinoti added.
According to police findings, Ali and Mukhtar hide the recruits and illegal immigrants in hired lodges in Eastleigh before making arrangements for their safe passage to Libya, Syria and Europe through Busia border to Kampala and thereafter to Juba and finally into Libya.
In Libya, the recruits are detained by criminal gangs mostly Magafe but are later released on ransom amounting between 2500 and 7000 US Dollars used to finance ISIS and Al Shabaab.
Police say the money is channeled through Hawalas.
Mukhtar a businessman and landlord in Watamu in Mombasa is said to be an ISIS facilitator who houses recruits and illegal immigrants before they travel to Libya.
Yusuf on the other hand is Ali’s personal driver and a long distance driver tasked to drive recruits and illegal immigrants to different destinations. Police have also labeled him as an Al Shabaab and ISIS agent.
