Police are looking for a suspect who escaped and left behind an AK47 rifle and bale of bhang valued at Sh100,000 in Mutuati, Meru county.
The weapon and drugs were found at the residence of a suspected violent robber and drug trafficker by detectives from the Anti-Narcotics Unit (ANU) of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
Police said they were pursuing Geoffrey Thuranira who escaped from his house in Murunya village, Meru, leaving behind the AK47 rifle loaded with 20 rounds of ammunition.
Detectives also recovered a bale of bhang. The bhang is suspected to have originated Ethiopia giving an indication the suspect is among the narcotics traffickers.
The team of police officers said they found the suspect’s wife and her four months old child in the house. The main suspect escaped by jumping over the perimeter wall and disappeared into a banana plantation as police approached, police said.
Police detained the woman for grilling as the hunt on the suspect goes on. Police say they are usually confronted by gunmen while pursuing drug traffickers on the Moyale-Nairobi highway. The traffickers have a huge market in Nairobi and other urban areas.
Meanwhile, a firearm that was stolen from a female police officer in Kasarani in February 2024 was Sunday found abandoned at the gate of Githurai police post.
Police said the Scorpion firearm, which was recovered in Kasarani had been robbed off the constable of police on February 16 when she and her colleague were attacked while on night round duties within the Kiwanjani area of Githurai 44.
It had 23 bullets when it was recovered on Sunday May 26. The officer and her colleague were attacked by three men, one armed with a pistol, who wrestled them and managed to get away with the firearm.
However, Sunday morning another officer on reaching the gate of the police post found the abandoned firearm near the perimeter wall where water pipes are kept.
After inspection, it was established that it was the same firearm, which had been stolen from the officer on February 16.
The firearm was subjected to ballistic analysis and found to have not been involved in crime so far. Police said among the crimes reported none has marched with the analysis done on the weapon.
No arrest has been made so far in connection with the incident and the recovery. The motive for the developments has not been established, police said.
Police are still investigating the incident.