Police have arrested two Tanzanians, Abdirahman Shaffi Mkwatili, 25 and Sadam Jafari Kitia, 30 headed to Somalia to join Al Shabaab at Garissa.
Kenyan Security Agency said Tanzanians were nabbed on Wednesday with a notebook scribbled in Swahili that they were using to guide their movement from Tanzania to Jilib.
The suspects told police they were heading to Somalia to join al Shabaab after being recruited and facilitated by their handlers in Tanzania.
Police claim that this is a pattern they have seen with recruits going to join either al Shabaab or Daesh: they are given travel plans avoiding communicating while on the road or questioning locals about the route to avoid arousing suspicion.
According to police sources, the arrests come two weeks after three other Tanzanians, Seif Abdalla Juma, Zuberi Ngare Mtondoo, and Abdul Saif Salimu, were taken into custody in the same region after receiving a tip from the general public.
Further, the security agency has warned Public Service Vehicle operators to be alert and share any information on the movement of suspicious foreigners.
“The ongoing war against terrorism by the security agencies continues to frustrate the recruitment and facilitation of recruits destined to Somalia to join al-Shabaab,” police said.
The defense hearing for the two is slated for August 21 to 25, 2023.
The ruling was delivered virtually by chief magistrate Martha Mutuku at the Mombasa law courts.
