Somalia Airport Authorities Removed Over Alleged Human Trafficking and Terror Connections Involving Counterfeit U.S. and UK Passports
MOGADISHU, Somalia (AXADLE) – Following accusations of human trafficking and suspected ties to terrorism, two high-ranking Somali officials responsible for overseeing security and immigration at Mogadishu’s airport were ousted on Thursday, as reported by informed police insiders.
The newly appointed police chief, General Asad Osman, relieved Ahmed Said Mohamed, the head honcho of Somali immigration, and Abdifatah Bashir Ali, the security boss of Mogadishu Airport, from their posts.
It’s under scrutiny that Ali, who allegedly mingled with dubious terror dealings and human smuggling escapades, ventured stateside just a few moons back.
This probe picked up steam when Somali legislator Abdilahi Hashi Abib flagged the cases of two lads snagged at Addis Ababa’s Bole International Airport, sporting phony credentials.
The apprehended guys—one Mohamed Dahir Dhokol Hassan, clutching a fake Yankee passport, and an Abdalla Abdi Ali, armed with a bogus Brit passport—were nabbed in Addis and sent packing to Mogadishu on October 15.
Officials reckon these phony American and British IDs sprouted from Mogadishu’s infamous forgery mills.
Ethiopian Airlines tipped off Mogadishu’s brass, noting that a flyer had initially set course for Cairo, Egypt, after first eyeing a journey to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Upon their return, the two jetsam weren’t nabbed, stirring whispers of inside job antics on Mogadishu’s airport security scene.
Legislator Abdillahi Abib expressed his dismay, saying, “Our immigration folks at Aden Abdulle Airport bewilderingly let them waltz right through upon their return without a nod to the fuzz or the Attorney General’s Office. This blatant breach of protocol screams of massive security and immigration hiccups.”
Abib further pointed fingers at the systemic corruption plaguing Somalia’s airport security, spotlighting the National Intelligence Service (NISA) Airport, Immigration Airport, and National Police Airport.
“These blunders not only jeopardize our homeland security but could also coax other countries to slap travel embargoes, tangling thousands of honest Somali travelers,” he noted with chagrin.
For ages, the specter of Al-Shabaab’s infiltration has cast a shadow over Mogadishu Airport. One gripping episode unfolded in February 2016, when a Daallo Airlines flight erupted in mid-air— a calamity attributed to an Al-Shabaab suicide bomber, leaving at least one casualty presumed to be the culprit.
Ongoing intelligence whispers suggest the group might be sharpening their airline hijacking skills, amping up potential regional trepidations.
Experts in the security realm lament that deep-rooted corruption, misuse of authority, and lurking Al-Shabaab infiltrations within Somali forces throw wrenches into counter-terrorism efforts and regional stability.
