Police seek US cleric as bullets found in Bibles

By Cyrus Ombati

Kenya has sought the help of Interpol to arrest an American evangelist operating in Southern Sudan.

This is after 150 live bullets were intercepted in bibles in his luggage destined for Juba, Southern Sudan.

Kenya Airports Police Unit Commandant Philip Tuimur confirmed the seizure but declined to give more details on the suspect.

"We intercepted the bullets at our screening room in the luggage and they had been not been declared in the importation papers," he said without elaborating.

The man identified as Reverend Dennis E Bennett operates Servant’s Heart, a faith-based organisation working in Sudan and East Africa.

Major airports

Bennett had dispatched a luggage containing more than 100 bibles through international courier company FedEx, when the bullets were detected at the Wilson Airport, Nairobi.

Interestingly, the luggage had passed through major airports like Heathrow in London where security surveillance is believed to be high.

The bullets were found wrapped in Bibles and hymnals at the screening area at the airport at the weekend as detectives planned to clear the luggage for Sudan.

Police sources said the luggage was to pass through Lokichogio aboard a local airline before ending up in Juba.

The source added the bullets had not been declared.

Police investigating the incident have so far taken statements from the clearing agents of the cargo who have named Bennett as the owner.

The motive behind the importation of the bullets is not yet clear and the detectives said they had learnt the suspect is not licensed to carry weapons. Preliminary investigation had shown that the man imports Bibles and hymnals regularly, which are printed in various Sudanese languages.

Police arrested another American found with 45 bullets stuffed in his briefcase at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport while headed for Mombasa on Saturday.

The suspect, who is a businessman at the Coast, has since been charged in court and pleaded guilty to the charges of being in possession of bullets illegally.