Security agencies have dismantled transnational crime networks following the interception of a high-profile illicit arms dealer and the arrest of armed gang members in two separate operations.
Multi-agency security officers operating at the Kanyonyo Vehicle Checkpoint (VCP) along the Thika–Garissa highway intercepted and arrested a suspected prominent arms trafficker on Wednesday, July 8, 2026.
The suspect, identified by the National Police Service (NPS) as Kassim Kulicha, was apprehended while in transit to Nairobi.
Acting on targeted intelligence, officers subjected the vehicle to a search, leading to the recovery of a significant cache of firearms and a large volume of live ammunition.
Preliminary forensic investigations have linked Kulicha to an extensive illicit firearms trafficking network operating across Tana River, Isiolo, Meru, and Garissa counties.
Detectives revealed that the intercepted weapons were actively destined for Nairobi and its environs.
“This interception has effectively disrupted a critical criminal supply chain that was intentionally structured to fuel violent criminal activities within the capital city,” the National Police Service stated in an official brief.
The high-profile suspect remains in tight police custody, assisting homicide and transnational crime detectives to map out and expose his wider network of cross-border suppliers and urban buyers ahead of his formal arraignment in court.
Meanwhile, in Garissa County, regular police officers from the Garissa Police Station successfully apprehended three members of an armed criminal gang following a violent confrontation in the Bulla Sagarey area of Garissa Town.
Acting on actionable intelligence regarding an impending criminal mission, a team of officers raided a suspected hideout to corner a nine-member gang found in possession of an assortment of crude weapons.
Upon being challenged to surrender, the gang members defiantly resisted arrest, resorting to physical violence and directly confronting the law enforcement officers.
While the ensuing melee resulted in minor injuries to several police officers, the team successfully subdued and took three suspects into custody. The remaining six accomplices managed to break loose and evade arrest under the cover of confusion.
A manhunt has been launched across Garissa and its border sub-counties to track down the fleeing suspects.
The three captured individuals are currently being processed at the Garissa Police Station and are expected to face multiple charges, including possession of offensive weapons, planning to commit a felony, and assaulting police officers on duty.
