3 Suspects Arrested as Police Recover Pistol, 62 Phones

Police officers have arrested three suspects and recovered a firearm, ammunition and 62 mobile phones.

In a statement on Thursday, May 14, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said police officers from Kayole Police Station were on patrol along Kangundo Road when they spotted a motorcycle approaching with a rider and two pillion passengers.

However, the motorcycle sped off into the Saika Estate after noticing the police officers, raising suspicion.

The officers quickly intercepted the motorcycle, but the two pillion passengers jumped off and fled in separate directions.

“Officers moved in fast and successfully intercepted the motorcycle. The two pillion passengers jumped off and scattered in different directions, sparking a foot chase through the busy neighbourhood,” DCI said.

The motorcycle rider, who was identified as 19-year-old Emanuel Maina Kioi, was arrested at the scene.

The second suspect, Shem Kariuki Ondieki, dropped an object while attempting to escape. The officers, however, cornered him before returning to inspect what had fallen.

“Lying on the ground was a Retay Falcon pistol loaded with 10 rounds of 9mm ammunition: a deadly find that signalled the suspects may have been on a far more dangerous mission than an ordinary boda boda ride,” the investigative agency said.

The third suspect, Samwel Okoth Ochieng, was traced to Dandora Phase Four, where the DCI detectives stormed his house and arrested him.

During the operation, the sleuths recovered a Ceska pistol magazine loaded with 16 rounds of 9mm ammunition, 62 assorted mobile phones, assorted electronic items, a Mercedes-Benz ignition key and several other incriminating items.

The three suspects are being held at the Kayole Police Station, undergoing processing pending arraignment.

This comes weeks after Police officers shot dead a suspected gang member and recovered a Tokarev pistol in Dandora.

According to the DCI, officers from Dandora Police Station were on routine patrol when they encountered the gang robbing members of the public along Councillor Opundo Road.

The police officers challenged the suspects to surrender; however, one of them drew a firearm and started shooting at the officers.

In response, the officers opened fire and gunned down the suspect. However, his accomplices managed to escape the incident on foot.

“Upon being challenged to surrender, one of the suspects drew a firearm and started firing at the officers, prompting a decisive response. One suspect was fatally injured, while his two accomplices escaped on foot towards the Maili Saba area,” DCI said.

A search conducted on the fatally injured suspect led to the recovery of a Tokarev pistol loaded with two live rounds of 9mm ammunition, a military knife, and two mobile phones.