Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have apprehended six individuals in connection with suspected uncustomed goods.
In a statement released on September 15, the DCI announced that the arrests were part of Operation Usalama, a coordinated effort involving 14 Eastern African countries.
One suspect was detained at a beauty shop in Kisumu, where uncustomed goods were discovered.
“Acting on intelligence, the Operation USALAMA X team launched a three-day operation in Kisumu, conducting extensive searches in various business premises. During the operation, a range of uncustomed goods was recovered, leading to the arrest of one suspect who is now assisting the police with further investigations,” the DCI stated.
The operation also led to the seizure of additional items suspected to be uncustomed.
“The multi-agency team conducted further searches, resulting in the seizure of more uncustomed items. The shop owner was arrested in connection with the seized goods,” the DCI added.
Along the Kisumu-Kakamega Road, detectives recovered various suspected uncustomed goods.
“Later in the day, the team conducted another search at a chemist, where they found additional uncustomed goods,” the DCI noted.
Four more suspects were arrested at the chemist in Kisumu.
According to the DCI, Operation Usalama is an initiative of the Eastern Africa Police Chiefs Cooperation (EAPCCO), a regional police body comprising Chiefs of Police from 14 countries, and the Southern African Regional Police Chiefs Co-operation Organisation (SARPCCO). These bodies are primarily responsible for combating cross-border and transnational organized crimes.
The operation was initiated due to the recognition by the Chiefs of Police of both regions of the threats posed by transnational crimes, including motor vehicle theft, narcotic drugs, trafficking in persons (TIP)/smuggling of migrants (SOM), proliferation of small arms and light weapons, terrorism and fugitive tracking, smuggling of minerals, counterfeit and illicit goods, and the need for cooperation in combating these crimes.
In the past, the two regional bodies have successfully organized five simultaneous operations, code-named USALAMA I-IX, from 2013 to 2023, in the fight against transnational crimes within the two regions