Teso South police officers on Monday night arrested a Ugandan suspect
with an AK-47 assault rifle and 30 rounds of ammunition at Adungosi
market.
Confirming the incident, Busia County Police Commander John Nyoike
said the suspect was arrested at 22.30 hours after a chase by police
officers on patrol.
He said: “Police officers who were on patrol at night at Adungosi area
signaled a motorbike rider carrying two pillion passengers to stop but
they refused. The officers gave a chase and after a brief pursuit, they
managed to apprehend John Chandi aged 42 years while the other two
escaped.
“On searching the man who was wearing a jacket, they discovered an
AK-47 rifle with a loaded magazine tied round his body” he said.
“After an interrogation by the Director of Criminal Investigation
officers, the suspect led the officers to Mayanja area in Bungoma
County where they arrested another man he claimed they have been
working together with,” said Nyoike.
He said the two were currently in police custody as the DCI officers
launch investigation before arraigning them in court.
On whether the firearm has been used to commit crime in the county in
the recent past, Nyoike said he would only be able to confirm after the
DCI officers carryout investigations.
“We have had two shooting incidents within the county recently where
an Ak-47 rifle is believed to have been used. In one, a man was shot in
the hand and chest in his homestead. In the second case, the thugs went to
a Busia town hotel and ordered all those who were there to lie down and
money was lost,” he disclosed.
Nyoike appealed to members of the public and boda-boda operators to
cooperate with security agencies and volunteer information whenever
they came across any suspicious character in their areas to enable the
police to take action.
By Melechezedeck Ejakait
