Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations have arrested two suspects, Evans Otieno Ongere and Abel Onyango Owuor, along the Kisumu-Busia Highway in Kisumu and recovered a Phantom pistol, a machete and three mobile phones from their vehicle. The duo are currently in custody at Maseno Police Station as investigations continue.
According to the statement by DCI on Sunday, the arrest was made through an operation that involved intelligence-gathering by the detectives of DCI headquarters before laying a strategic ambush along the heavily trafficked highway.
Acting on prior knowledge, the detectives apprehended the suspects who were in a black Toyota Prado bearing registration number KCB 411A.
“Their patience bore fruit when they intercepted a smooth black Toyota Prado… with two suspects inside whose lives were about to change forever,” said the DCI in a statement.
A subsequent search of the vehicle yielded a cache of items suspected to be linked to criminal activity.
“A thorough search of the vehicle revealed a Phantom pistol, glimmering… alongside a machete snugly housed in a black sheath and three mobile phones, all potential instruments of crime,” the agency said.
The discovery prompted the immediate arrest of the suspects, who were later escorted to Maseno Police Station, where they are being processed ahead of their arraignment in court.
Authorities confirmed that the firearm, machete, mobile phones and the vehicle used by the suspects have been detained as key exhibits in the ongoing investigations.
The operation is part of a broader crackdown by security agencies targeting illegal firearms and criminal networks operating within the region.
Investigators are now working to establish the origin of the recovered weapon and whether the suspects are linked to other criminal activities.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations has urged members of the public to continue sharing information that could aid in the fight against crime, reiterating its call for anonymous reporting through its toll-free and WhatsApp lines.