72 Arrested After Rifles, Ammunition Vanish From Thika Police Post
Police in Thika, Kiambu County, have detained 72 suspects following the theft of firearms and ammunition from the Maguguni Patrol Base in what has raised fresh questions about security lapses within local police posts.
Investigators said two rifles and more than 170 rounds of ammunition vanished under unclear circumstances. The discovery was made after the officer on night duty reported hearing dogs barking near the patrol base compound in the early morning hours.
“When I stepped out to check, everything seemed calm. But when I returned, I saw that one of the iron sheets covering the armoury had been removed,” the officer said in a statement.
Inside, he found that the steel box used to store weapons had been opened and several firearms and rounds of ammunition were missing. Among the stolen items were a G3 rifle with a fully loaded magazine and an AK-47 rifle with two loaded magazines containing 60 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition. Police also reported the loss of 96 additional rounds and two empty magazines.
Senior police officers, including the Sub-County Criminal Investigation Officer and the Thika East Police Commander, visited the post and confirmed the incident. Initial investigations found no signs of forced entry, and both padlocks on the armoury remained intact.
“A search party was deployed in a bid to recover the stolen arms and ammunition,” the police report read. “Preliminary investigations revealed there was no breaking and the two armoury padlocks were intact and not broken.”
The officer on duty has since been placed in custody as investigations continue. Police have intensified the manhunt for the missing weapons amid fears they could end up in the hands of criminals.
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72 Arrested After Rifles, Ammunition Vanish From Thika Police Post