A senior police officer was arrested after he was found carrying 20 bags of charcoal along Nakuru-Mogotio road, Nakuru County.
The Chief Inspector of police officer who is the commander of Tiaty West Sub County Criminal Investigations Office (SCIO) Benjamin Wasike was chased for several kilometers before his car was intercepted in Nakuru Town.
The Toyota Land Cruiser was found carrying 20 bags of charcoal, police said.
The police officer was later on December 13 charged with offenses of unlawful using motor vehicle and movement of charcoal without authority contrary to the charcoal rule of the forest charcoal rule 2009 of the Forest Conservation and Management Act 2016.
The officer was released on a cash bail of Sh100,000 and the case will be mentioned on December 23, 2024.
A team from Kenya Forest Service Mau region headquarters were on duty along the Nakuru-Mogotio Road when they spotted the vehicle.
The team tried to stop the car but the driver sped off towards Nakuru.
This prompted a chase to Naivasha then back to Nakuru town where a reinforcement had been raised and intercepted it there.
They also managed to arrest the driver who turned out to be a police officer and disarmed him of a Ceska pistol loaded with 13 rounds of ammunition.
He was escorted to Nakuru Police Station where he was searched and placed in custody and the car loaded with 20 bags of charcoal was detained at the station.
Transporting charcoal needs a permit from the Kenya Forest Service.
Meanwhile, a police officer attached to Gesonso police station, Kisii County for stealing a mobile phone belonging to his colleague at the station.
The complainant had on October 25, 2024 complained her mobile phone was stolen.
This prompted an investigation that led to the arrest of the police officer.
The two had been assigned work together when the mobile phone went missing.
The suspect had dropped the mobile phone into a pit latrine about 200 meters away from the station.
The gadget was recovered as evidence. He was later charged with stealing the gadget.
Police termed the incidents as isolated adding they are handling them internally.
Email your news TIPS to Editor@kahawatungu.com or WhatsApp +254707482874
