Monday August 10, 2026
FILE PHOTO
Nairobi (AX) — A Nairobi cargo firm’s suspicions over a tightly wrapped, undeclared parcel led to the arrest of a man and the seizure of a dismantled drone allegedly being shipped to Somalia.
Police arrested Mohamud Hared on Friday when he went to the Eastleigh cargo company to collect the package, which was reportedly sent from China by a person identified as Abdi Kafi.
According to a police report, employees flagged the shipment after observing that it had been heavily wrapped and that the sender had not disclosed its contents.
Hared reportedly paid for the parcel using M-Pesa before asking staff to open it. They found a dismantled unmanned aerial vehicle, or drone, together with several accessories.
The company then notified police. Officers arrived at the premises, arrested Hared and took him to Pangani Police Station for questioning.
Investigators said Hared told them the drone was intended for Balad Hawo, a town along the Kenya-Somalia border, and would be moved through Mandera. Yussuf Abdi Abdille, described as a resident of the border area, was allegedly expected to collect it.
Hared remained in custody while police investigated the shipment, its intended recipient and how the equipment might have been used.
Kenyan authorities have stepped up efforts to block the illegal importation and movement of equipment that could be used in attacks or other criminal activity, particularly near the Somalia border.
Police have not disclosed whether the suspected shipment was connected to a militant group or an intended attack.
