NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 10- The country’s top criminal investigations installation, Mazingira complex, which houses the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters along Kiambu road is considered impenetrable due to its fort knox like attributes.
Thoughts that criminal entities would bypass security protocols, let alone easily and freely manoeuvre their way into the complex was unheard of until recently.
On Tuesday, a sinister plan to infiltrate the DCI headquarters had been hatched by a criminal gang and everything seemed to be going as planned.
A motor vehicle, registration number KAV 491V arrived at the DCI’s main gate, just opposite Kenya Forest Service headquarters at around 1:30pm.
Aboard the vehicle, three of the gang members now identified as Morris Otieno Ooko, Kimilu Martin Mwenze and Benard Ojiambo, masqueraded as telecommunication officers working with a telecom company identified only as, Data Ways.
The branded vehicle was then subjected to routine inspection and then cleared for entry after the driver informed the police at the gate of their intended purpose of visit.
The vehicle is then said to have proceeded to the tower mast located behind block ‘C’ of the complex dropping two of the alleged telecom officers, Morris Otieno Ooko and Benard Ojiambo.
The driver, Kimilu Martin Mwenze then shortly left the the area as the two embarked on scaling the mast.
It is now suspected that the three might have scouted the complex for days before embarking on their clandestine operation as witnessed by the ease of access to the mast and a knowledge of what and how to alter it.
The gang set its sight on the investigating body’s communication infrastructure. This would grant them the ability to spy on radio and mobile communication devices at the installation.
A further breach of the communication infrastructure would have granted the gang the ability to maybe access sensitive information on electronic devices, jeopardizing the investigative process.
After scaling the mast, equipped with several electronic devices, the two then commenced with the installation of a communication transmitter antennae on top of the DCI antennae.
Conspicuously, in a fortunate stroke of serendipity, the unit communication officer, Chief inspector Nicholas Tanui spotted the two and quickly alerted other officers who visited the site to inquire what was happening since he was not notified of a scheduled maintenance.
The two were quickly asked to stop what they were doing and directed to descend the mast and identify themselves before giving an account of their work.
The devices they installed were quickly removed.
Tanui is then said to have explained to the two that the mast belongs to the DCI and was the property of the National Police Service (NPS) and as such a well laid procedure has been put before anyone can access it.
Detectives shortly after discovered that the two were imposters, wth sinister motives of infiltrating the DCI’s communication network.
The three were arrested and detained before Thursday being presented at the Milimani Law Courts.
They appeared before Magistrate Kennedy Cheruiyot and charged with committing an act of mischief by interfering and fixing a communication transmitter antennae to the government antennae at the DCI headquarters used by the directorate of criminal investigations without authority.
They pleaded not guilty and were released on a cash bail of Sh 300,000.
The case will be mentioned on June,24, 2021
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