MOMBASA, Kenya — The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has arrested two armed suspects and recovered an AK-47 rifle in an operation targeting criminal networks in the Coast region.
In a statement posted on its official X account, the DCI said the joint operation involved officers from the Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau (CRIB) and the Operations Directorate. The suspects, identified as Collins Ochieng alias Voke (22) and Timothy Omondi Mgowe (23), are believed to be linked to a robbery and abduction incident in Kisauni Sub-County on February 17, 2026.
According to investigators, the victim, a businessman, was accosted by masked men, robbed of large sums of money and valuables, and later abandoned in the Mombasa Cement area.
Following the incident, detectives launched what they described as a sustained manhunt to track down those responsible. Acting on intelligence leads, officers raided a targeted apartment in the Bamburi Fisheries area, leading to the arrest of the two suspects.
During the operation, detectives recovered one AK-47 rifle, one magazine, four rounds of ammunition, and ten assorted mobile phones believed to be linked to criminal activities.
The suspects are currently being processed pending arraignment in court. Authorities said security operations across the Coast region are ongoing as part of efforts to curb armed robbery and organized crime.
The DCI noted that the crackdown aims to “restore sanity within the Coast region, particularly in Mombasa,” amid heightened concerns over violent crime.
The arrests come as security agencies intensify coordinated operations targeting armed gangs in urban centres, with police maintaining that intelligence-led interventions remain central to improving public safety.
