The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has dismantled a suspected boat engine theft syndicate after six Yamaha outboard engines believed to have been stolen were recovered during a security operation at Sindo Main Beach in Homa Bay County.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

The recovery was carried out jointly by officers from the Kenya Coast Guard Service (KCGS) and DCI detectives on May 17 after rising complaints by boat owners on an increase in theft of expensive marine equipment along the lakeside region.

“Personnel from KCGS’ Port Victoria Station, in collaboration with the DCI, recovered six suspected stolen Yamaha outboard engines….during an operation at Sindo Main Beach, Homa Bay County,” said KCGS.

According to investigators, the engines were mounted on six separate boats when officers from KCGS’ Port Victoria Station raided the beach area during the multi-agency operation targeting suspected illegal activities linked to stolen marine property around Lake Victoria.

📌 What You Need to Know

Authorities confirmed that one of the recovered engines had already been positively identified by its owner, giving detectives a major breakthrough as they worked to establish the source of the remaining engines and track down additional suspects.

Three suspects were arrested during the operation and are currently being held at Port Victoria Police Station, where they are assisting detectives with investigations into what security agencies believe could be a wider criminal network operating across the lakeside counties.

“One engine has been positively identified by the complainant. Three suspects are currently in custody at Port Victoria Police Station, and efforts to apprehend additional suspects are ongoing as investigations continue,” stated KCGS.

Boat engine theft is a major security issue in Kenya, primarily affecting fishing and transport communities in Lake Victoria and the Indian Ocean regions, such as Lamu, Mombasa, and Kwale Counties.

Pirates and criminal syndicates routinely ambush fishermen to strip valuable outboard motors (engines) like Yamaha or Suzuki to resell, dismantle, or smuggle across borders into neighboring countries like Uganda and Tanzania.

For the Lake Region, since Lake Victoria is shared by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, stolen engines are frequently smuggled across international waters.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke