Police in Kisumu County have arrested 15 suspected members of a criminal gang that has been reigning terror on locals, and recovered a cache of crude weapons.

The intelligence-led operation was conducted promptly after authorities got information that a group of persons suspected to be armed with crude weapons was travelling in three vehicles along the Kisumu–Kericho Highway.

Acting swiftly on the information, detectives from the DCI Operations Support Unit (OSU), working alongside officers from the Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau (CRIB), Nyanza Region, and DCI Kisumu Central, moved in and intercepted the vehicles.

The suspects were found aboard a grey Toyota Noah, registration number KCR 790A, and two white Toyota Hiace vans, KDM 377M and KDE 819U, both operating under the Nyakija Classic Shuttle along the Kisumu–Migori route.

A search of the vehicles and the suspects yielded several mobile phones, assorted machetes and pangas, knives, ropes, a metal rod/club and other items suspected to have been intended for criminal activities.

As the operation unfolded, one suspect, identified as Oliver Jaoko a.k.a. Oliveti and believed to have been leading the group, made a daring escape by jumping through a vehicle window.

The 15 suspects, together with the recovered exhibits, were taken into custody, where they are undergoing processing pending arraignment as detectives pursue the case.

Meanwhile, detectives are hot on the trail of the suspected gang leader, who manged to escape.