Four suspects are in custody after detectives intercepted a vehicle within Wilson Airport carrying drums filled with jet fuel believed to have been siphoned from an aircraft undergoing maintenance, with authorities now widening investigations to determine whether similar incidents have occurred at the facility.
The arrests followed an operation by officers from the Kenya Airport Police Unit (KAPU), who flagged down a white Mitsubishi Canter moving within the airport precincts and discovered four drums, each containing 200 litres of jet fuel, during a search.
Investigators established that the fuel had been drained from an aircraft stationed at the NASD hangar, with the plane operated by Airworks Aviation and undergoing maintenance at the time the incident occurred.
Police said the suspected consignment was linked to Gladys Ndumba Kanairo, who was found at the scene without a gate pass required for access, while the vehicle used to transport the fuel did not have authorisation from the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA).
Kanairo was arrested alongside the driver, Timothy Wambugu Maina, as well as two other suspects identified as Kennedy Njoka Kinuthia and Abdulmalik Musinga.
The four were detained as detectives prepare to present them in court, while the vehicle and the recovered fuel have been held as exhibits pending further investigations.
Authorities indicated that inquiries are ongoing to establish whether the siphoning of jet fuel has been taking place over time within the airport, noting that the product commands a higher value compared to other petroleum products.
