A coordinated police operation has disrupted an impending criminal plot in Kisumu County, resulting in the arrest of 15 suspected gang members and the recovery of a heavy stash of crude weapons.

The crack operation was launched following actionable intelligence that an armed group was traveling along the busy Kisumu–Kericho highway in three separate vehicles.

A joint team comprising detectives from the DCI Operations Support Unit (OSU), Nyanza Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau (CRIB), and DCI Kisumu Central moved swiftly to intercept the convoy.

Officers cornered the suspects aboard three vehicles: a grey Toyota Noah and two white Toyota Hiace vans affiliated with a local matatu sacco plying the Kisumu–Migori route.

A thorough search of the vehicles and suspects yielded an assortment of dangerous items, including: machetes and pangas, knives and ropes, metal clubs and rods, and multiple mobile phones

During the chaotic interception, the individual believed to be leading the gang made a daring escape by leaping through a vehicle window.

While 15 suspects were rounded up and taken into custody for processing ahead of court arraignment, detectives have launched an active manhunt to track down the fleeing ringleader.

The DCI emphasized that the successful bust underscores the vital role of intelligence-led policing in dismantling criminal networks and stopping violent offenses before they occur.