Immigration officer wanted after failing to appear in JKIA human trafficking case
An Assistant Director of Immigration Services is now a wanted man after failing to appear in court to answer to human trafficking charges linked to victims trafficked through Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
Detectives from the Transnational Organized Crime Unit (TOCU) are pursuing John Pario, who skipped plea taking at the Kahawa Law Courts, prompting the court to issue a warrant of arrest and forfeit his Sh50,000 cash bail.
Pario was arrested on April 2, 2025 following investigations into the trafficking of two victims to Myanmar in 2024 while he was stationed at JKIA.
Investigators say he facilitated their departure despite prior knowledge that they had earlier been denied entry into Thailand under similar circumstances.
According to detectives, forensic analysis revealed sustained communication between him and a co-suspect, pointing to coordinated planning. He is also alleged to have received the victims’ photographs and travel documents to aid their identification and clearance at the airport.
Authorities further linked him to financial transactions tied to the scheme, while victim statements indicate they were referred to him through a trafficking network.
He is also accused of attempting to help the victims evade scrutiny upon their return to the country.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions approved charges against him under the Counter-Trafficking in Persons Act, with Pario listed as the third accused person in the case.
After being processed at DCI headquarters on March 24, 2026, he was directed to appear in court the following day, but plea taking was deferred to April 1 — when he failed to show up.
Detectives say efforts to trace and arrest him are ongoing.
To advertise with us, send an email to advert@avdeltanews.world