DCI Block 2 Al Shabaab Suspects From Abducting Foreigners In Kenya

Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations' (DCI) Anti-Terror Police Unit (ATPU) have arrested two suspected Al Shabaab operatives, one of whom sneaked into Kenya from Somalia.

In a statement, DCI revealed on Tuesday, February 18 that the duo had planned the abduction of a team of foreign nationals working at a sewer line construction site within Mandera township.

"Acting on intelligence, the ever agile sleuths swiftly arrested the prime suspect, Isaac Abdi Mohamed alias Kharan Abdi Hassan, 29, who had recently sneaked his way into the country from El-ade in Somalia and forged a number of documents to identify as a Kenyan," revealed the DCI.

On keen scrutiny and thorough interrogation, it was discovered that the suspect was to pay Ksh100,000 to his local associate, who would assist in the abduction exercise.

This was before he and another suspect facilitated the to-be victims' movement to El-ade at a hefty fee of Ksh300,000.

DCI went on to reveal that as a result, another operation was conducted early on Tuesday morning, where the suspect was cornered and arrested at the Metameta area within Mandera township by a multi-agency security team.

"The two have been booked in custody undergoing further interrogation ahead of their arraignment for being members of a terrorist group, which is a serious offence under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA)," added DCI.

The arrest came more than two weeks after five chiefs were kidnapped by suspected Al Shabaab terrorists while heading towards Elwak. They were hijacked between Bamba Owla and Ires Suki. A joint security team was deployed to pursue the abductors.

On Tuesday, February 4, President William Ruto demanded the release of the five chiefs, calling out members of the terror group for resorting to scare tactics owing to the Kenyan government's hard stance in the war on terror.

"Security is very important. The security of our country is very important. We are fighting against hooligans, crooks and criminals, alongside terrorists. Because we have given the terrorists a hard time, yesterday, because of wanting to strike fear in this area, they went and kidnapped our chiefs," he addressed.

"I want to promise the people of Mandera that those chiefs should come back home and those crooks and terrorists and hooligans, we will deal with them. I have come with the Deputy Inspector General of Police Mr Masengeli and I have explained to him that up and down, left and right, front and back, east or west, until this matter is dealt with."

Despite his intervention, the five chiefs are yet to be released.