By Allan Mahelo | February 25, 2026
Security operations in the Coast region received a major boost after detectives arrested two suspects and recovered a loaded AK-47 rifle during an intelligence-led operation in Mombasa.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) identified the suspects as Collins Ochieng alias Voke, 22, and Timothy Omondi Mgowe, 23.
The two are suspected to be linked to a robbery and abduction incident involving a businessman in Kisauni Sub-County on February 17, 2026. Investigators say the victim was accosted by masked assailants, robbed of cash and other valuables, and later abandoned in the Mombasa Cement area.
Following the incident, detectives drawn from the Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau (CRIB) and the Operations Directorate launched investigations and placed the suspects under close surveillance.
“After days of intensive investigations and monitoring, officers acted on credible intelligence and carried out a raid at a targeted apartment,” the DCI said.
The operation was conducted in the Bamburi Fisheries area, where officers recovered one AK-47 rifle, a magazine loaded with four rounds of ammunition, and ten assorted mobile phones believed to be linked to criminal activity.
The DCI described the recovery as a significant breakthrough in efforts to dismantle criminal networks operating in the Coast region, noting that illegal firearms remain a key driver of violent crime.
The suspects are currently being held in custody as investigations continue, pending their arraignment in court.
Authorities have assured residents that similar intelligence-led operations will be sustained across the region as part of broader measures to enhance public safety and curb organized crime.
