An officer stationed at the General Service Unit (GSU) Training School in Embakasi, Nairobi, was involved in an ammunition and bullets peddling network, according to detectives.
After setting a trap and recovering 2,040 rounds of ammunition, investigators apprehended an officer assigned to the training school.
According to sources, the bullets discovered last week were being smuggled from a garage on Nairobi’s Eastern Bypass and were destined for Isiolo.
Bullets smuggling menace
On August 21st, a group of rangers in WestGate Conservancy in Laikipia recovered a cache of 2,640 bullets from two herders. These bullets have (explained and) caused a domino effect.
Two days after the 2,640 bullets were recovered in Laikipia – August 23rd – GSU Corporal Joseph Mghanga attached to GSU Training School Embakasi, was found murdered with a deep cut to his forehead in a quarry in Utawala. His two mobile phones remained in his pockets.
Three weeks later, on September 14th, Inspector David Opiyo of GSU Training School Embakasi’s vehicle was blasted with more than 20 gunshots at a garage in Utawala (again).
He wasn’t in the car, but he reported at Ruai he’d been carjacked.
The police inspector is facing four charges of being in possession of ammunition without authority, stealing government property, abuse of office and illegally being in possession of state goods.
According to detectives, they found a vehicle belonging to the officer with bullets and when they questioned him, he claimed he had been carjacked. But sleuths dismissed the officer’s theory stating that the carjacking was stage-managed.
Found inside GSU Inspector David’s car above were 34 cartons of bullets (2,040 bullets) in a sack in the rear seat. Also recovered were his wallet (insert emoji) and two mobile phones (insert emoji). This cache of bullets have been connected to the Laikipia cache.
Three weeks before the Laikipia cache was discovered – 30th July – Inspector Ibrahim Bonaya’s car was blocked and sprayed with bullets in Kyumbi, Machakos. He and a friend were fatalities. He was a former long serving GSU Embakasi Training School officer.
Six weeks before the Laikipia vault was found, on July 11th, Corporal Joseph Otieno of GSU HQ Armoury Ruaraka went missing. His vehicle was discovered abandoned at a quarry near Mwiki, complete with all floor mats removed. He is still yet to be found.
Sergeant Osman Godana, a former GSU Training School officer, was in a car with three other people (one of whom was a current GSU officer) when they were stopped at Blue Post, Thika, by armed men wearing kevlar vests. Only Godana was kidnapped.
He has yet to be found.
GSU Commandant, Douglas Kanja, dismissed claims that his unit had rogue officers who could be involved in the smuggling of bullets.
