Some of the recovered bags of rice/HANDOUT
Detectives in Kibwezi, Makueni County, recovered 129 bags of rice earlier stolen while on transit from Mombasa.
The incident happened when a truck driver was accosted by highway robbers in the Machinery area of Kambu on December 21.
Reporting the incident at Makindu Police Station, the driver alleged to have been overpowered by the gang that emerged riding on motorcycles, who after assaulting him commandeered the loaded truck before dumping him around Makindu.
The gang of four offloaded the 500 bags each weighing 25 kilogrammes of rice, from the truck, thereafter abandoning the empty lorry and sharing the loot amongst themselves.
Acting on information, DCI Makindu officers conducted a raid at the homestead of one of the suspects, who, on getting wind that police were around his hood, disappeared together with his wife.
Outside his house, 129 bags of the stolen goods were found, and investigations are ongoing to arrest the gang and recover the remaining bags.
Elsewhere, police, in response to reports received about expired maize and bean seeds, as well as fertilisers lining the shelves of various stores in Bungoma County and its surroundings, took swift action.
Working hand in hand with the Kenya Plant Health and Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS), they launched an operation aimed at apprehending those behind this illicit trade and safeguarding farmers from potential financial ruin.
The operation kicked off in Kanduyi division of Bungoma County, where officers from Bungoma Police Station jointly with KEPHIS officers apprehended Hillary Wafula and seized 124 bales of expired maize and bean seeds.
The raid extended to Kakamega county, where officers arrested three suspects at Harambee Trading Centre.
These suspects led the officers to three residential houses, where about 70 tons of maize, 10 tons of beans, and 50 bags of 50 kilos fertiliser were seized.
On inspection, all the goods were confirmed to be expired and had previously been condemned and marked for destruction.
The suspects were taken to Bungoma Police Station along with the confiscated goods for processing as investigations continue to establish how these expired goods infiltrated the market.
This operation not only highlights the commitment to protect farmers but also sends a strong message against the sale of unsafe agricultural products.