Two Kenyans suspected of spying for Iran terror group arrested
What you need to know:
Sources indicate that Abubakar was arrested on Thursday October 29 after a long intensive investigation.
This comes as the Interior ministry also on Saturdayy warned that a wanted British terror suspect may have sneaked into the country.
Abubakar, the IG said, has also allegedly recruited several other youth, with false promises that they would be awarded scholarships.
In June 2012, two Iranian operatives Ahmad Abolfathi Mohammad and Sayed Mansour Mousavi, were arrested with 22kg of explosives.
Police have arrested two Kenyans suspected to have been spying for and recruiting on behalf of an Iranian terror group.
On Saturday, Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinnet said Abubakar Sadiq Louw, 69 and Yassin Sambai Juma, 25 were allegedly conspiring to mount terror attacks against western targets in Kenya.
He said the two have admitted to have been planning to attack hotels in Nairobi, frequently used by tourists, businessmen and diplomats.
“Abubakar Sadiq Louw admitted recruiting young Kenyans to spy and mount terror attacks in Nairobi,” Mr Boinnet said.
Sources indicate that Abubakar was arrested on Thursday October 29 after a long intensive investigation.
This comes as the Interior ministry also on Saturdayy warned that a wanted British terror suspect may have sneaked into the country.
AL-SHABAAB FIGHTER
Police asked the public to provide any information that could lead to the arrest of Malik Yassin suspected to be an Al-Shabaab foreign fighter.
Sambai, according to Mr Boinnet, was recruited by Abubakar who divulged to the investigators that he arranged for Juma to travel to Iran and introduced him to the Qods Force contact, Mojtaba Ghanbarian famously known as “Parsa”.
He was given a set of tasks and Western targets for future terror attacks in Nairobi. Qods is an elite Iranian special unit that is one of the world’s most highly trained and secretive.
Juma who police say has received military training in Iran, was arrested on November 19.
Abubakar, the IG said, has also allegedly recruited several other youth, with false promises that they would be awarded scholarships.
However, Abubakar’s family have denied that he is involved claiming that police have fabricated the story.
“Our father was actually hijacked a month ago as he went to buy some things from a shop in Ngumo where we live. For four days, we did not know where he was and when we did, the police asked us to stop posting anything concerning him on social media, as that would complicate the matter,” Abubakar’s daughter, Nosheen Louw said.
She said the police had even told the family on Thursday, that he would be released as investigation showed that he had no connection with any criminal activities.
“We have visited him in police cells and he is very depressed because of what he is going through” she said.
Nosheen has initiated a campaign on social media with an aim of petitioning the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights to intervene.
The revelation by Mr Boinett yesterday comes just a day after he sounded an alarm over the theft of two diplomatic number plates from vehicles at the coast.
The number plates, 45 UN177 K and 45 UN130 K, were stolen from United Nations vehicles parked in Kilifi and Mombasa.
“Only the front number plates were stolen because the rear plates were difficult to remove,” Mr Boinnet said in a statement read on his behalf by Kenya Police Spokesperson, Charles Owino.
He said the police believed that the plates may be used to access security areas and key installations by terrorists.
“Vehicles bearing such registrations should be stopped with a lot of caution, be detained and occupants interrogated considering that the recent terror attack in Mali was aided by the use of vehicles bearing diplomatic plates,” he said.
SECURITY SERVICES ON HIGH ALERT
On Saturday, Mr Boinett said no one had been arrested in connection to the theft but police and security guards have been placed on high alert.
He said an extensive investigation by the Kenyan security services in conjunction with other security services in Africa, has determined that the Iranian “Parsa” has visited several countries on the continent.
Mr Boinnet said the police are working closely with Muslims to determine threats and locate anyone who may be targeting Kenya.
“These people are being monitored and will be dealt with at the discretion of the police and in accordance with the law,” the police boss said.
In June 2012, two Iranian operatives Ahmad Abolfathi Mohammad and Sayed Mansour Mousavi, were arrested with 22kg of explosives.
The two men, were tried and convicted of planning attacks in Kenya. They were both sentenced to life in prison.
In October 2014, the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) issued an alert over an Iranian national in Kenya, said to have been on a mission to try and free the two. Through its officials in Nairobi, Interpol said that attempts are being made to have the two Iranians released “by all means possible”.
The two convicts who were sentenced in May 2013, were working for the Qods Force.
The IG said the two are in an undisclosed police cell and will still be interrogated, in a bid to find their accomplices and also establish their mission. They will be charged once police complete investigations.
