Suspects planned terror attacks on festivities – police
Three terror suspects who were arrested on the eve of New Year day were planning to carry out attacks in Mombasa, investigating officers have revealed.
In an affidavit produced before a Mombasa court by investigating officer Japheth Yagan, 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.
Further, the police affidavit claims 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 trio were presented before Mombasa Senior resident magistrate Rita Orara.
Delivery riders
The court heard that anti-terror police officers were yet to conclude investigations into the matter.
“The suspects gave wrong password pins for the cellphones gadgets which made, their mobile phones to block hence making it hard t retrieve data from their mobile phones.
They further refused to disclose their bank accounts to help the investigators to carry out investigations and hence the respondents phones have been forwarded to ATPU headquarters in Nairobi for further extraction and analysis and onward transmission to goggle firm,” the affidavit says.
Police say 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 suspect’s plans by arresting the second and third respondents who led police to a house of the first suspect where plans were ongoing,” Yagan told court.
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.
He had asked the court to be allowed to detain the suspects for 15 days to complete investigations.
The magistrate ordered the suspects to be detained at the Port Police Station.
