By Grace Gilo
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), has revealed that acting on gathered intelligence, the Operation USALAMA X team initiated a three-day operation in Kisumu City, during which extensive searches were carried out at various business establishments.
“Acting on intelligence, the Operation USALAMA X team launched a three-day operation in Kisumu city where major searches were conducted in various business premises,” wrote DCI on X.
Throughout the operation, the team confiscated a variety of uncustomed items, including Vaseline, Dove, and St. Ives products from Best Ladies Beauty Shop.
One individual, Brian Ouya, was apprehended and is currently aiding the police in their ongoing investigations.
The multi-agency team also conducted searches at several emporiums, including the Western Emporium Shop located along Oginga Odinga Road, where PVC-U tins and soda flakes, believed to be uncustomed, were seized.
The shop owner, Abdulrehman Mohamed Yasheen, was arrested in connection with the confiscated items.
Another search was performed at Leo Chemist along the Kisumu-Kakamega Road, resulting in the discovery of various uncustomed goods, such as Kamagra tablets and oral jelly.
At Victoria Healthcare Chemist situated in Taff Mall Kisumu, substantial quantities of Kamagra products were seized, leading to the arrest of four suspects: Bhavesh Kardan, Dennis Akunga, Bernard Otieno, and Nirmal Patel.
Operation Usalama was conceived by The Eastern Africa Police Chiefs Cooperation (EAPCCO), a regional police organization comprising the Chiefs of Police from 14 member countries, along with the Southern African Regional Police Chiefs Co-operation Organisation (SARPCCO), which primarily focuses on preventing and combating cross-border and transnational organized crimes.
“The operation was necessitated as a result of the recognition by the Chiefs of police of both regions of the threats posed by transnational crimes including Motor vehicle theft, Narcotic drugs, Trafficking in persons(TIP) /Smuggling of Migrants (SOM), Proliferation of small arms and light weapons, Terrorism and fugitive tracking, Smuggling of minerals, counterfeit and illicit goods and the need to co-operate in the fight against cross- border and transnational crimes that afflict the two regions,” stated the DCI.
“The two regional bodies have in the past successfully organized five simultaneous operations code named USALAMA I-IX in both regions in 2013 – 2023 in the fight against transnational crimes within the two regions, DCI reiterated.