National Police Service (NPS) officers on Wednesday, May 24, conducted a detailed covert operation to nab a notorious arms dealer.
The officers who were drawn from Alale Police Station posed as businessmen looking for guns and ammunition.
A 20-year-old boy from Amakuriat Trading Centre in West Pokot County agreed to meet the demands of the police officers posing as mercenaries.
“Officers from Alale Police Station playing decoy role as ammunition buyers engaged a 20-year-old male unsuspecting seller.
“During the transaction, the officers seized 200 rounds of 7.62×39mm Special,” a statement from the police read in part.
Should they not have posed as buyers, NPS preliminary investigations showed that the weapons would have ended at the West Pokot-Turkana border.
NPS believed that the 20-year-old boy was among the gang selling arms to bandits in the troubled North Rift.
“We thank the public for sharing vital information with the Officers, which led to this successful recovery,” the police thanked residents of Amakuriat while urging enhanced cooperation between civilians and police officers.
The Ministry of Interior has earmarked the mopping up of illegal firearms as the key to ending cattle rustling and banditry on North Rift.
On Friday, May 19, Interior Cabinet Secretary (CS) Kithure Kindiki oversaw the surrender of one of the largest consignments of guns in Samburu County.
During the multi-agency operation, the government recovered a rocket-propelled grenade, 96 guns and hundreds of ammunition.
“The intelligence-led security operation will continue until all criminals are flushed out of their hideouts.
"All guns illegally in the hands of civilians must be recovered and the security officers will partner with civilians to identify and disarm criminals,” the CS stated then.
