Deadly arms found on ship seized in Mombasa

An AK-47 rifle and a machine gun are among the more than 30 firearms found concealed in UN vehicles on board a ship that docked at the port of Mombasa.

Also found was some powdered substance which is being analysed. “The powder could be anything, either a substance used in war or narcotics,” said a senior police officer.

Police Spokesman Charles Owino said a multi-agency security operation would reveal more details about the ship later in the day.

“There is a high likelihood that the information will be released by security bosses anytime from today,” he told Nation on the phone.

Coast Police Commandant Francis Wanjohi said investigations were still ongoing.

Meanwhile, eyebrows have been raised over the mysterious death of an Australian who worked for the United Nations Office for Drugs Crime a few days after he checked into a hotel in Mombasa.

“I can confirm that someone died at the hotel. I don’t have the postmortem details. I don’t know whether he was buried or not,” said Kisauni police boss Richard Ngatia.

A hospital official told Nation that a postmortem was conducted at Pandya Memorial Hospital before the man was buried.

The official said what surprised him was that the names in the postmortem result and his passport were different.

“When the body was brought to the hospital, there was a lot of tension. I, however, noticed the different names in the documents and the enhanced security,” he added.

“If a person investigating drug smuggling came into the country, checked into a hotel and is found dead a few hours later, how safe are we?” he asked.

Another source said: “His death was mysterious. The body was taken to Pandya Hospital and later buried according to Islamic laws.”

When contacted, hotel officials said they are not aware of the incident.

Another source said the man was married to a Kenyan woman who was called to identify the body.

“He has been the main man investigating drugs along the coastal line. He checked into the hotel two days before his death. He was found by room attendants who wanted to clean it but he did not open the door. They then opened the door, found him dead and called the police,” he added.