An operation conducted in Eastleigh, Nairobi County, by a multi-agency security team has led to the successful recovery of a consignment of suspected combat uniforms belonging to terror group, Al Shabaab.
The intelligence-led operation was conducted by detectives drawn from DCI Starehe and the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU) in the early hours of Tuesday, April 7 night within Eastleigh’s KBS Garage area.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) says the operation was launched after an earlier intelligence led to an interception in Dhobley on April 6, 2026. On this day, Jubaland Security Forces (JSF) seized 25 bales packed with suspected Al-Shabaab full camouflage uniforms, an alarming discovery that pointed to a wider cross-border supply chain.
Eastleigh roots
Investigations unravelled a complex network. The intercepted consignment had reportedly been destined for a suspect identified as Abdi Hakim, who remains in custody in Dhobley.
Further leads traced part of the shipment to Eastleigh, Nairobi, specifically to Gaani Parcel Express, a logistics outlet along 12th Street within the bustling KBS area.
At the time, the officers recovered eleven (11) bales, each containing sixty (60) full camouflage uniforms and one hundred and twenty (120) T-shirts. An additional bale yielded sixty-five (65) uniforms alongside one hundred and twenty (120) T-shirts.
The items were discovered at Vision Point Express, a neighbouring facility, where they had been temporarily stored due to limited space at Gaani Parcel Express.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the manager of Gaani Parcel Express, Omar Elmi Issack, had arranged for the temporary storage of the consignment after receiving it from an individual identified as Sharif.
The probe deepened further, leading investigators to Safe Link Cargo, a firm located at Soma Towers, believed to have facilitated the importation of a larger batch totalling thirty-seven (37) bales of suspected ASl Shabaab fatigues. The cargo is reported to have originated from China and entered the country through the Port of Mombasa under the guise of consolidated shipments.
One Abdiftah Aden Muhammed, an employee at Safe Link Cargo, has been linked to the shipment’s clearance and coordination. Investigators established connections between Abdiftah, Sharif, and another individual identified as Abdikadir, forming a critical chain in the suspected supply network.
Records, the DCI says, show the consignment was collected on 4th April 2026 by Sharif before being dispatched to Gaani Parcel Express, setting in motion the chain that has now been intercepted.
All recovered items have been secured and properly documented as exhibits.
Several key suspects are currently in custody under ATPU, assisting with ongoing investigations aimed at dismantling the entire network behind the operation.
“This operation underscores the vigilance and coordination of security agencies in detecting and disrupting threats before they manifest,” the DCI says. “Investigations remain active as authorities pursue additional leads and possible accomplices.”
