Coast regional CID boss Pius Macharia (left), flanked by Mombasa CCIO Washington Njiru, addressing reporters at the regional police headquarters in Mombasa during a past event. [Photo/ nation.co.ke]
A terror suspect arrested and said to be in the list of the most wanted terror masterminds in the country had targeted to attack a church and a mall during the Easter season.
Mombasa Regional Criminal Investigations boss Pius Macharia said the suspect was nabbed following a tip-off.
Anti-Terrorism Police Unit officers raided his house in Shika Adabu, Likoni on Friday, Macharia told journalists.
Police said the suspect had targeted to capitalize on the confusion associated with the Easter holiday to carry out the attacks.
Macharia said the man will be charged with a terrorism offence after interrogation to establish if he has any links with Somalia-based al-Shabaab terror group.
“We are still interrogating him over links to terrorism. We suspect his accomplices are still at large,” Macharia said.
Among items recovered from the suspect’s house included two hand grenades, 10 bullets and CDs containing radicalization material, an AK47 rifle and a jungle jacket.
The arrest came a day after police released pictures of nine al-Shabaab fighters said to be on their way to the country.
The nine were Issa Abdallah, Suleiman Irungu Mwangi, Juma Otit Ayub, Ahmeb Tajir Wahome and Abdullahi Jarso.
Others were Abdikadir Abubakar, Gufu Tari Guvu, Ahmed Said Omar and Faud Abubakar.
Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinnet ahead of the Easter holiday warned Kenyans of an impending terror attack in the country.