Court orders detention of 3 suspects for 15 days over terror attacks in Mombasa

They were detained at Port police cells as investigations go on.

In Summary

• Aisha Abdalla Musa, Mistwah Kassim and Musab Abdulnasir, were armed with a firearm which was to be used to commit crime in Mombasa during the festive season.

• The three suspects were presented before Mombasa Senior resident magistrate Rita Orara.

Gravel.
Gravel.
Image: FILE

Police are holding three terror suspects who planned attacks in Mombasa on New Year.

The three terror suspects who were arrested on the eve of New Year day were planning to carry out attacks in Mombasa.

Aisha Abdalla Musa, Mistwah Kassim and Musab Abdulnasir, were armed with a firearm which was to be used to commit crime in Mombasa during the festive season.

An investigating officer Japheth Yagan told a Mombasa Court the fire arm, a Glock pistol serial number 187, which had already been forwarded to the ballistic experts in Nairobi for analysis, had revealed that it had previously been used in parts of Kisauni areas to commit crime.

The three suspects were presented before Mombasa Senior resident magistrate Rita Orara.

Police told the magistrate they were yet to conclude their investigations and hence needed more time for the same.

The investigator said the suspects gave wrong passwords for their cell phones, which blocked the gadgets hence difficult to retrieve data. Their phones have been forwarded to Nairobi for further extraction and analysis and onward transmission to other experts.

They further refused to disclose their bank accounts to help the investigators to carry out investigations.

Police said the suspects were arrested on the way to Diani, Kwale County, where they intended to meet two other suspects who are still at large.

There was intelligence information of an impending terrorist attack on social entertainment joints in Diani during the New Years Eve celebrations.

Police managed to counter the suspects' plans by arresting two of them who led police to a house of the third suspect where plans were ongoing.

The officer told the court that the suspects had disguised themselves as motor bike delivery riders in parts of Mombasa in an effort to advance their terror activities in earmarking possible areas to attack.

Police successfully asked the court to be allowed to detain the suspects for 15 days to complete investigations.

They were detained at Port police cells as investigations go on.

Security agencies have thwarted dozens of planned attacks in the country in operations.

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