Police in Naivasha arrest a man impersonating a senior military officer

Man in Handcuff. [File, Standard]

Police in Naivasha have arrested a man impersonating a senior military officer and recovered a pistol in two separate incidents in the lakeside town.

In the first incident, a suspect in his mid-30s, dressed in full military gear, drove himself to the police station.

He claimed he was seeking an abstract after allegedly losing his military identity card, but officers soon realised he was a con artist and arrested him.

Naivasha OCPD Antony Keter confirmed the arrest, noting that the suspect initially provided contradictory statements about the abstract, which raised suspicions among the police.

Keter added that the man, who claimed to be a Major, was detained. A search of his car revealed additional military gear and various recruitment documents.

"We have come to learn that the suspect is posing as a senior military officer, and he will be arraigned in court facing several charges," he stated.

In a second incident, acting on a tip-off, police arrested seven suspects, including one woman, and recovered a pistol along with three rounds of ammunition.

Keter indicated that these suspects are believed to be behind a series of armed robberies in the area, where individuals have been targeted after leaving the bank or while entering their homes.

"We have requested the court for additional time to hold these suspects as we believe they have been involved in numerous other criminal activities," he said.

In the final incident, police recovered bhang worth over Sh4 million that was en route from Western Kenya to Nairobi.

During this operation, the occupants of the car managed to escape, leaving behind their getaway vehicle, which contained several sets of number plates.

"We are searching for the owner of this car and the suspects who abandoned their documents during the incident; it is only a matter of time before we catch up with them," added Keter.