A car and weapons belonging to the two Kenyan police officers who were recently arrested in Tanzania after reportedly crossing the border while armed, have been confiscated.
The Kenyan police officers were arrested in Tanga alongside three other people from Mombasa.
The authorities at the Horohoro border, where the incident occurred, confirmed that the Kenyan vehicle and the two Ceska pistols, together with the contained ammunition, remain in the Tanzanian custody.
Well at least, this is according to an official letter from Tanzanian immigration authorities.
Police Constable Patrick Kithinji and Police Constable Ahmed Ali, both attached to the crime office at Tononoka Police Station in Mombasa, in Kenya, were arrested after crossing onto the Horohoro area by Tanzanian authorities.
They were allegedly found to have entered the country without authorization.
At the time of their arrest, each officer was carrying a firearm and ammunition.
Police Constable Kithinji was found in possession of a Ceska pistol, serial number F 4663, loaded with 15 rounds of ammunition, while PC Ahmed Ali was carrying a Ceska pistol, serial number F 2528, also loaded with 15 rounds.
All the firearms and the ammunition were confiscated.
According to a letter from the Immigration Department of Tanzania, the officers from Kenya claimed to have crossed into the southern border to arrest a runaway criminal identified as Omar Ali.
They claimed the suspect was wanted in connection with an offence of obtaining money and other valuables by false pretense.
The suspect allegedly committed those offences in the Tononoka area of Mombasa.
The complainant in the case was identified as Sofia Mguza.
Further details indicate that the Chairman of the Coast Development Authority, Mzee Mwinyi Mzee, and his wife, Sophia Menza Mbogo, were the victims of the alleged fraud.
The couple reported the matter at Tononoka Police Station and later travelled with the two police officers to Horohoro, at the Kenya–Tanzania border, as part of efforts to pursue the offender.
The two police officers were accompanied by another person, Abdikadir Adan Ganyure, who was described to be their driver, working with the Coast Development Authority.
The group travelled in Ganyure’s vehicle that was also detained by Tanzanian authorities.
The immigration letter listed Mzee Mwinyi Mzee and Sophia Menza Mbogo among the five Kenyan nationals involved, though it did not initially explain their role in the incident.
In a letter addressed to the Immigration Officer in Charge at Lungalunga, Kenyan border officials were informed that the Kenyans had entered Tanzania unlawfully.
“Five Kenyan nationals entered the United Republic of Tanzania in violation of national immigration laws and the provisions of the East African Community One Stop Border Post Act, 2016,” read part of the letter.
The letter also stated that the officers lacked authority to carry firearms into Tanzania and that there had been no prior coordination with Tanzanian authorities regarding the alleged arrest operation.
All the Kenyans involved were initially detained at Horohoro pending further action.
They were however later handed over to authorities at the Lunga Lunga, border with the Mombasa County Commander expected to handle the case.