At least seventy-two people have been arrested in connection with a daring break-in at the Maguguni Patrol Base in Thika, Kiambu County, where firearms and ammunition were stolen from the police armoury.
According to a police report, the suspects are being interrogated following the disappearance of two rifles and more than 170 rounds of ammunition from the station earlier this week.
The incident was discovered by an officer on duty who raised the alarm after noticing suspicious movements within the patrol base compound during the early morning hours. He reportedly heard dogs barking and went out to inspect the area.
Upon returning to the office, the officer realized that one of the iron sheets covering the armoury had been tampered with. On closer inspection, he found that the steel box used to secure the weapons had been broken into, and several firearms were missing.
Among the stolen items were a G3 rifle with a fully loaded magazine of 20 rounds, an AK-47 rifle with two fully loaded magazines containing 60 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, an additional 96 rounds of 7.62mm bullets, and two empty magazines.
Senior officers, including the Sub-County Criminal Investigation Officer and the Sub-County Police Commander for Thika East, visited the scene to verify the incident. Preliminary investigations revealed no signs of forced entry, and both armoury padlocks were still intact.
“A search operation was immediately launched to recover the stolen firearms and ammunition,” the police report noted.
Meanwhile, the officer on duty at the time of the incident has also been detained to assist with ongoing investigations.