DCI deploys East Africa’s first specialised team to combat organised immigration crime
By Ndiritu Wanjiru, July 25, 2026The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has operationalised East Africa’s first specialised Counter-Organised Immigration Crime Team (COICT), marking a major step in strengthening Kenya’s border security and tackling transnational organised crime.
Writing on X, the DCI has noted that the 29-member elite unit was officially flagged off on Friday, July 24, 2026, by Director of Criminal Investigations Mohamed I. Amin at the Border Police Training Campus in Kanyonyoo, Kitui County, on behalf of Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja.
The officers completed an intensive specialised training programme before being deployed to strategic border stations across the country.
“The officers completed an intensive, specialised training programme before being deployed to strategic border stations across the country,” DCI stated.
The newly established team, which falls under the DCI’s Serious Crime Unit, has been tasked with investigating and disrupting criminal networks involved in trafficking in persons, migrant smuggling, travel document fraud and other cross-border crimes that pose a threat to Kenya’s national security and public safety.
Intelligence-led approach
The officers underwent specialised training under the East Africa Border Security Programme, funded by the British High Commission and delivered through a partnership involving the National Police Service, VALAR and HAART Kenya.
The programme covered intelligence-led investigations, investigative interviewing, trafficking in persons and migrant-smuggling investigations, financial and digital evidence management, crime scene processing, international cooperation, operational planning, human rights, professional ethics and victim-centred investigative approaches.
Speaking during the commissioning ceremony, Amin urged the officers to uphold the highest standards of professionalism, integrity and accountability in their work.
He emphasised that all investigations should be intelligence-led, evidence-based and conducted within the framework of the Constitution, the National Police Service Act and other applicable laws.
Amin also reminded the officers of their responsibility to protect Kenya’s borders while ensuring that victims of trafficking and exploitation are treated with dignity, fairness and compassion.
Kenya-UK security partnership
Representing the British High Commission, Ben Fisher described the rapid establishment of the COICT as a landmark achievement, noting that it is the first specialised counter-organised immigration crime capability in East Africa.
He praised the long-standing security partnership between Kenya and the United Kingdom, which supported the initiative through funding and technical expertise.
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On behalf of the Deputy Inspector General of the Administration Police Service, APS Director of Security Operations Jackson Kangani challenged the officers to translate their specialised training into tangible results by dismantling criminal syndicates, rescuing victims, securing successful prosecutions and enhancing public safety.
The DCI said the establishment of the specialised unit reflects its broader commitment to enhancing investigative capacity, strengthening inter-agency cooperation and improving intelligence-led responses to increasingly sophisticated transnational criminal networks. With training complete, the officers are expected to begin operations at key border points to protect the country’s borders and combat organised immigration crime.