Police in Kisumu have recovered a modified G3 rifle believed to have been used in a series of violent robberies, following an intelligence-led operation triggered by a tip-off from a member of the public.
According to police, the operation was launched after “credible information from a wary and responsible citizen” pointed to a breakthrough in tracing a missing G3 FMP rifle linked to criminal activity in the region.
Officers from Kondele Police Station swiftly mobilized undercover teams, leading them to Kawese Village in Kolwa East Location.
The firearm was eventually recovered at the residence of Wilson Ojowi, where a close family member of the prime suspect cooperated with authorities.
Police said the relative “guided officers to a suspicious site within the compound,” prompting a detailed search.
“What followed was a painstaking search that culminated in the shocking discovery: buried inside an unfinished latrine, officers unearthed the sought-after G3 rifle,” the statement said.
The weapon had been hidden in a sack alongside an empty magazine, covered with freshly dug soil.
Investigators noted the rifle had been “crudely modified—its butt stock and muzzle had been cut off,” raising concerns it may have been altered for use in close-range, high-risk crimes.
The scene was processed and the exhibits secured at Kondele Police Station.
Preliminary findings have already linked the weapon to a recent robbery with violence incident. Authorities said one of the suspects had been seen wielding a G3 rifle missing a butt stock, matching the recovered firearm’s description.
Police have since launched a manhunt for the main suspect, identified as 20-year-old Fortune Benedict Migot, who remains at large alongside three accomplices. Detectives believe he is behind multiple violent robberies in and beyond Kisumu County.
“Fortune is also reportedly facing an active case at the Winam Law Courts,” police said, adding that he had previously sustained gunshot injuries during a robbery incident.
Authorities say forensic analysis of the recovered rifle is ongoing and is expected to strengthen links to multiple crime scenes, as they continue to appeal for public cooperation in tracking down the suspects.