An initiative by the government to stamp out armed criminal activities in Saku constituency, Marsabit County bore fruits with the recovery of three illegal guns and a collection of 66 rounds of ammunition in Gabra Scheme area this afternoon.
Detectives investigating an assault case reported at the Marsabit Central police station also recovered 400 mills of gun oil and a sling during an operation that took them into the Mt. Marsabit forest.
Marsabit Central Deputy County Commissioner Patrick Muriira told KNA that security agencies would remain vigilant in stemming crime, adding that the recovered firearms included 2 G3 rifles and one AK-47 rifle.
Muriira said the police arrested a suspect in connection with assault against a resident of the area where the illegal firearms were recovered and he volunteered to surrender an AK- 47 rifle.
However, the gun was not found in the suspect’s house and upon interrogation local elders led the police into the forest where the promised gun was found plus the rest of the illicit firearms.
The Deputy County Commissioner who is also the chairman of the sub-county intelligence and security committee said the recovery also led to the arrest of another two suspected accomplices in the assault case.
Muriira while hailing the elders and local political leadership for their cooperation in containing inter-communal conflicts said security measures have been instituted to tame armed crime and urged for continued support.
The administrator said close collaboration, coupled with both night and day security patrols had started bearing fruits, adding that yesterday’s recovery was one of the successes in the war against crime in the sub-county.
“The support we have received from the leadership of this sub-county and elders has been of great assistance in containing communal conflict which has seen the area start experiencing lull,” the Deputy County Commissioner pointed out.
He commended the police for the good work and commitment to duty and asked those holding illegal firearms to surrender them to the government before an existing amnesty window elapses.
Muriira the suspects who are helping the police with investigations will be charged with assault and illegal possession of firearms.
He said that the crackdown on people holding illegal firearms by the police would be intensified and urged members of the public to give a hand by passing over useful information to the authorities.
