At least 72 suspects have been arrested in connection with breaking into a police station in Thika, Kiambu County, and stealing firearms and ammunition.
The suspects were held for questioning as police investigated the disappearance of two rifles and over 170 rounds of ammunition from the Maguguni Patrol Base in Thika.
A police report stated that the officer on duty on the night the firearms and ammunition disappeared raised the alarm after noticing suspicious activity at the armoury.
The officer claimed that he had heard dogs barking near the patrol base compound in the early hours of the morning, which prompted him to step out and patrol the area.
He explained that upon returning to the office, he noticed that one of the iron sheets covering the armoury had been removed.
He added that upon entering the armoury, he found that the steel box used to store weapons was open and that firearms and rounds of ammunition were missing.
Among the missing weapons was a G3 rifle with one fully loaded magazine containing 20 rounds.
Also stolen were an AK-47 rifle with two fully loaded magazines containing 60 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition, 96 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition, and two empty magazines.
Senior police officers, including the Sub-County Criminal Investigation Officer and the Sub-County Police Commander for Thika East, visited the scene and confirmed the incident.
According to the preliminary findings, there were no signs of forced entry, and both armoury padlocks were intact.
"A search party was deployed in a bid to recover the stolen arms and ammunition. Preliminary investigations revealed there was no breaking and the two armoury padlocks were intact and not broken," part of the police report stated.
The officer on duty at the time of the theft was also placed in custody to assist with the investigation.
