A covert attempt to siphon jet fuel and sneak it out under the cover of routine airport activity has been thwarted after sharp-eyed detectives intercepted a suspicious vehicle at Wilson Airport.
The drama unfolded when detectives from the Kenya Airport Police Unit (KAPU) intercepted a white Mitsubishi Canter, lurking within the airport precincts.
While it tried to blend into the shadows of routine airport activity, the vehicle was carrying a heavy secret: four drums, each brimming with 200 litres of jet fuel.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the fuel had been drained from an aircraft stationed at the NASD hangar.
The plane, operated by Airworks Aviation, was undergoing maintenance, providing the perfect cover for the fuel-thirsty predators.
However, their plan to fly under the radar crashed, as the law caught up with the suspects before they could make their unauthorised exit, police said.
The alleged owner of the consignment, Gladys Ndumba Kanairo, was found to have no gate pass.
At the same time, the vehicle itself lacked the mandatory authorisation from the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) to transport petroleum products.
Kanairo, alongside the driver, Timothy Wambugu Maina, and two accomplices, Kennedy Njoka Kinuthia and Abdulmalik Musinga, were immediately arrested.
They were detained for processing as detectives prepare to parade them before the corridors of justice.
Meanwhile, the impounded vehicle and the recovered jet fuel are being detained as exhibits.
Police said they want to understand if the siphoning has been a norm in the area.
Jet fuel fetches more than other products.
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