A former General Service Unit (GSU) officer was on Sunday arrested after he was found with two stolen guns from a police camp.
Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), who carried out the operation, indicated that the suspect had sneaked into the Korngotuny GSU camp in Kopsiro, Bungoma County, and stolen the guns.
DCI believes that the former GSU officer, who was suspended from the force on disciplinary grounds, sneaked into the camp on the night of August 23.
Subsequently, a raid was conducted at the suspect’s home but he managed to evade arrest by escaping into a nearby sugarcane plantation.
Police officer disembarking from a vehicle.
Photo
NPS
In the wee hours, the officers mounted a spirited search that lasted for hours in the vast field sugarcane field and smoked him out.
“The G3 rifles one of which was loaded with 20 rounds of 7.62mm caliber disappeared mysteriously from Korngotuny GSU camp, prompting an operation led by sleuths from the elite Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau to recover them,” read the statement in part.
“After conducting comprehensive investigations and analysis, the detectives identified the main suspect behind the disappearance.”
The detectives further noted that the suspect used sophisticated techniques he learnt during his time with the unit to hide the guns.
“The thug who appeared not to have forgotten his concealment lessons at the paramilitary unit, had utilised the available thick cover of the cane in an attempt to deceive our men, but gave up when the detectives deployed plan B of their operation,” added the statement.
“After being apprehended, he led the officers to the banks of River Sio, that snakes close to his father’s land where the firearms were recovered buried on the ground.”
The DCI have launched investigations into the incident.
According to the Kenyan Law, any person who steals a firearm with the intention of using it in a criminal offence faces up to 14 years in prison.
Stealing ammunition, on the other hand, attracts a jail term of 10 years.
Directorate of Criminal Investigations headquarters along Kiambu Road
Simon Kiragu
Kenyans.co.ke
