The Rwandan police have sent 12 Burundian women back home after it was revealed that they were on their way to Arab countries as victims of human trafficking, Burundian police sources said Thursday.

Burundian Police Spokesman Pierre Nkurikiye said that this week the Rwandan police had sent them 12 women who were victims of human trafficking. Nine of the victims were brought back home through Akanyaru border post in Ngozi province, while the other three used the Ruhwa border post in Cibitoke province.

One of the traffickers was arrested along with the women. Nkurikiye said.

He added that two of four Burundian women who were already in Oman as a result of human trafficking were brought back home since the beginning of this month.

“The Burundian foreign affairs ministry and the Burundian national police are doing their best to repatriate the two remaining women who have been crying for help as all other Burundian women who are victims of human trafficking in Arab countries,” he said. Xinhua reports

Seven people; three Burundians and Four Kenyans have been arrested over human trafficking allegations by mid June while 11 companies involved in trafficking have been identified in the country.

Four of the 11 companies or organizations involved in human trafficking are based in Burundi, while the other four companies are based in Saudi Arabia and two others are based in Oman while the 11th one is based in Kenya.

Nkurikiye  indicated that since mid April this year, at least 280 persons, most of them girls, were victims of human trafficking.