A top police officer in Lamu County has been arrested for aiding a suspected drug trafficker escape from police cells.
Officer Commanding Station (OCS) in charge of Kizingitini Police Station, Mr Shadrack Mumo, was on Monday arrested for facilitating the release of the suspect who was arrested in possession of bhang.
Mr Mumo is being detained at the Lamu Police Station waiting to be arraigned on drug-related charges.
Investigations revealed that the OCS received Sh50,000, bribe to release the suspect and marijuana haul.
Three Junior officers also arrested
The suspect was arrested on Sunday at about 3am at the Mtangawanda jetty in Lamu East.
Lamu County Police Commander Muchangi Kioi said the OCS had been arrested alongside three junior officers suspected to have solicited the bribe on his behalf.
“The OCS was arrested immediately after he received the monetary benefit from his juniors and there after ordered for the release of the suspect, while his junior officers who had demanded the bribe each received Sh10,000 from the drug trafficker. He is in police custody as investigations are still ongoing,” said Mr Kioi.
He further added that police had launched manhunt for the suspected drug trafficker.
According to police sources, the drug haul was seized by border patrol unit officers while on transit from Lamu Island to Siyu in Lamu East.
It further emerged that the OCS was unable to account for the disappearance of the drugs which had been booked under his custody as well as account for the disappearance of the suspect identified as Swabri.
Swabri is said to have vanished a few hours after he was booked into the police cells.
The police report revealed the OCS claimed that the suspect escaped from police custody a few hours after he was arrested.
The OCS is alleged to have ordered the officer manning the O.B desk to alter the details of the suspect who had been arrested with the bhang and the consignment.
Matiang’i warning
The arrest followed a stern warning from Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i on Sunday who vowed to take tough action against drug trafficking at the Coast.
Dr Matiangi noted that drug abuse was to blame for the spike in killer gangs in the Coast region.
He warned that dealing with drug traffickers would be “painful”.
