Police in Kisumu County arrested three suspects believed to be part of a fuel siphoning racket with roots in Lolwe area.
The three who appeared in court on Wednesday and were remanded at the Kisumu Central Police Station, are awaiting a court ruling on if they should be released on bond.
Police moved to court before Kisumu Chief Magistrate Dickson Onyango seeking to hold the suspects for an additional 14 days to allow for the completion of the probe.
Kisumu Central sub-county Police Commander Peter Mulai said they are looking for more suspects in the saga.
One of them is reportedly the owner of the house in which the illegal fuel siphoning racket was discovered.
He urged the residents to desist from illegally siphoning fuel.
“You not only endanger yourself by handling the fuel but you can also be jailed for life if found guilty of such an offense,” said Mulai.
The racket was discovered following a tip-off from members of the public who noticed an oil spillage in Maua, Lolwe Estate.
It is believed that the racketeers had channeled an underground tunnel to access the fuel.
The underground pipe ran from the main Kenya Pipeline Company’s (KPC) Nakuru-Kisumu line officials said.
The bodies of two men believed to be part of the racket, have since been recovered from the tunnel as investigations go on.
The joint operation by KPC engineers, police, and firefighters was completed on Wednesday.
Officials said many liters of the super petrol in a septic tank were drained.
It is not clear how much petrol had been siphoned. It is not the first time such a crime has been committed on the fuel line.
KPC has installed sensors on the line to help in detecting such incidents.
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