Tuesday, July 29, 2014
TWO terror suspects linked to the Westgate and Mpeketoni attacks have been arrested in Garissa as they crossed over to Somalia.
Ahmed Mohamed and Noor Gatut, who are in their mid 40s, are of Somali origin and were arrested by a combined police force drawn from the Rapid Deployment Unit and the CID last Thursday.
The two wanted terror suspects, who had been on detectives' radar for some time, were arrested after they communicated with their colleagues in Somalia.
Investigations told the Star that the two made two calls to al Shabaab commanders in Somalia just before they made it through the Kenya-Somalia border.
A detective assigned for terrorism communication on mobile data said the two had planned and participated in the September 21, 2013 Westgate attack and June 14-15 Mpeketoni killings of more than 100 people.
"We have been chasing these two suspects for long. They first made communication outside Riyadha Mosque in Majengo, Nairobi. Their mobile communication data shows that they participated a lot in Westgate and Mpeketoni attacks,” he said.
A senior ATPU officer said the two are well trained militiamen, with lot of experience.
The two were taken to Mpeketoni police station under tight security by KDF officers, before being transferred to Malindi on Sunday.
Garissa county CID boss Musa Yego said the arresting officers were drawn from police headquarters in Nairobi.
He said the suspects will be taken to any court after investigations.
The Star has also established that junior officers from Lamu AP post may be interdicted and charged for allegedly facilitating and communicating with the attackers, especially at Mpeketoni during the first attack.
The nine officers are said to have made several calls and sent congratulatory messages to the killers.
The detectives are also analysing a CCTV footage, which the attackers thought they had destroyed at one of the banks in Mpeketoni.
They suspect the other men who were in a private Probox car might be the officers who showed them the directions.
Lamu county commissioner Njenga Miiri, who did not want to disclose more about the junior officers, said they are not only probing high profiled individuals but also junior staff who may have participated in the killings.
Source: The Source