Police nab 51 suspects in fresh operation against ‘Panga Boys Gang’
Police have arrested 51 suspected members of the Panga Boys gang in Kisauni as part of ongoing efforts to dismantle criminal groups operating in the coastal region.
A multi-agency team carried out a coordinated operation across several areas in Kisauni subcounty, including Corner Ya Kisauni, Jocham Hospital, Barisheba, Sunlight, Mwandoni, Junda, Cobra, and Kadongo grounds.
Authorities recovered five Tuk-tuks suspected to have been used in phone snatching incidents.
The arrested individuals are being held at Mjambere Police Station, where they are undergoing processing ahead of their arraignment.
The latest arrests follow a similar operation in Kwale County, where at least 120 individuals linked to the same machete-wielding gang were taken into custody after an attack on residents in Diani.
Out of those arrested, 63 suspects have already been presented in court.
Police have also sought permission to detain 33 others for an additional 14 days as investigations continue. On Tuesday, another 16 suspects were arraigned.
During the operation, officers seized seven machetes believed to have been used in criminal activities.
Additionally, 18 rolls of bhang and several mobile phones suspected to have been stolen were recovered.
New Msambweni Subcounty Police Commander Robinson Lang’at confirmed that the operation will persist until all gang members are tracked down.
He advised beachgoers to vacate the shores by 6 pm as a security measure.
“We are here to serve the public, and we assure them all is under control for now as we look for the gang behind these incidents,” he said.
Lang’at further stated that more officers from different security agencies have been deployed to strengthen the crackdown.
“Investigative interviewing on the suspects who are currently being processed for arraignment has provided leads to more notorious members that are still at large, and thus the crackdown has been intensified with more units being dispatched,” he said.
Police remain on high alert, vowing to sustain operations to curb criminal activities in the region.