The Anti-Terror Police Unit (ATPU) has changed tact and adopted social media use in its fight against terror in the country.
The elite unit decided to add social media into its operations after it emerged that terrorism groups were using social media platforms to recruit and radicalise youths at the Coast.
Media reports indicate that Telegram is one of the avenues being used by terror groups to scout for recruits in the country.
As a result, relevant agencies are reportedly monitoring telegram groups hoping to catch wind of any suspicious activities that may be linked to terror.
The new tactic recently bared fruit when officers managed to infiltrate a telegram group where terror related material was being shared and arrested two people.
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ATPU Officers guarding a court where a terror suspect had been arraigned. [Photo: Courtesy]
The two suspects Iqram Ramadhan Rashid and Rajabu Mwinyihamisi Hamza were members of Khalifa Tul Umah Telegram Group that reportedly brought together members from several countries in the continent.
“Based on intelligence reports, the said group - Khalifa Tul Umah - largely posts radicalisation materials and other articles that evidence an interest in extreme ideology and recruitment,” ATPU officer Bryzon Wafula said as quoted by Nation.
The move by the anti-terror unit comes a few days after KRA also announced that it has started an operation of social media where its officers will be tracking persons displaying lavish lifestyles, but paying little or no tax for what they earn.
"In the social media, we have some people posting some nice things. You would see some posting nice houses, cars, taking their families to nice places and so on. Here, we are not sleeping, when we see those, we see taxes.
"We have our officers looking, they have gadgets. They key in very quickly (the number plate) to check. We are working exceptionally hard," KRA Commissioner-General Githii Mburu said.
