Fifteen suspected gang members have been arrested, and a cache of crude weapons has been recovered during a coordinated police operation in Kisumu County, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has said.
In an X update on Sunday, the DCI said the operation was launched after detectives received intelligence that a group allegedly armed with crude weapons was travelling in three vehicles along the Kisumu-Kericho highway.
Officers from the DCI Operations Support Unit (OSU), working alongside the Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau (CRIB) in the Nyanza Region and DCI Kisumu Central, intercepted the vehicles and arrested the suspects.
The suspects were found travelling in a grey Toyota Noah, registration number KCR 790A, and two white Toyota Hiace vans, registration numbers KDM 377M and KDE 819U.
The two Hiace vans were operating under the Nyakija Classic Shuttle along the Kisumu-Migori route.
According to the DCI, detectives searched the vehicles and the suspects, recovering several mobile phones and a range of items believed to have been intended for criminal activities.
The recovered items included assorted machetes and pangas, knives, ropes and a metal rod or club.
“Fifteen suspected members of a criminal gang have been arrested, and a cache of crude weapons recovered following a meticulously coordinated operation in Kisumu County.”
The arrests followed what the DCI described as swift action based on intelligence gathered about the group's movements.
“Acting swiftly on the information, detectives from the DCI Operations Support Unit (OSU), working alongside officers from the Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau (CRIB), Nyanza Region, and DCI Kisumu Central, moved in and intercepted the vehicles.”
However, one of the suspects managed to escape during the operation.
The DCI identified the suspect as Oliver Jaoko, also known as Oliveti, whom investigators believe was leading the group.
According to the agency, Jaoko made a daring escape by jumping through a vehicle window as the operation unfolded.
The 15 suspects who were arrested, together with the recovered exhibits, were taken into custody and are undergoing processing pending arraignment.
Detectives have continued searching for the suspected gang leader who escaped during the operation.
The DCI explained that investigations into the group and the recovered items are continuing as officers seek to establish the suspects’ activities and determine whether they were planning criminal operations.
The agency said the operation demonstrated efforts by the National Police Service to disrupt criminal networks before they can carry out attacks.
“This operation reaffirms the resolve of the National Police Service to disrupt criminal networks before they can strike, keeping dangerous individuals and weapons off the streets and safeguarding innocent members of the public.”
The arrests come amid continued police operations targeting suspected criminal networks and illegal weapons across the country.
The DCI urged members of the public to report information that could assist investigations and help prevent crime.
It encouraged people with information about criminal activity to use its anonymous reporting channels.
The agency provided the toll-free number 0800 722 203 and WhatsApp number 0709 570 000 for members of the public wishing to share information confidentially.
Meanwhile, detectives remain on the trail of Jaoko as investigations continue into the suspected gang and the circumstances surrounding the movement of the group along the Kisumu-Kericho highway.