COP LOSES FIREARM TO ROWDY MOB AS HANDCUFFED SUSPECT ESCAPES

Detectives based in Molo town have launched an operation to recover a firearm that was wrestled from a police officer last night, during a raid on dens selling illicit brews and drugs.

The officers had raided Mtaa wa Saba area in Tayari Sub-location, a notorious illicit brews and drugs trafficking village that harbours Molo’s most dangerous criminals. Commonly known as wa Saba, the densely populated settlement neighbours the marshy shores of a dam that collects its waters from a nearby forest, where the brew is distilled in a makeshift distillery along Molo river before finding its way to Mtaa wa Saba.

During the operation, the officers who had arrived on a motorbike posing as regular throat irrigators arrested one Cyrus Luvekho, 44, who was found administering the lethal drink to groups of youths hovering around the area.

But as the officers waited for the station vehicle to pick them up, the intoxicated youths became rowdy and began hurling projectiles at them demanding for the release of Luvekho, to serve them more poison.
The 7pm commotion attracted the attention of the entire wa Saba settlement as locals converged at the scene in droves, to catch a glimpse of what was happening. The officers, who had not figured finding themselves in such an awkward position struggled to secure the suspect, the 18 litres of brew they had recovered from him and contain the rowdy mob that was baying for their blood.

In the ensuing melee, one of the officers’ firearm a Ceska pistol loaded with 15 rounds of 9mm calibre which was holstered in his waistband, was snatched from him as the mob freed the suspect and fled with him into darkness towards miti mirefu direction.

Efforts by the officers to recover the firearm and re-arrest the suspect were fruitless, prompting the intervention of a contingent of police officers including DCI detectives, currently engaged in an operation to recover the firearm.

An accomplice to the suspect was however arrested, over 40 litres of illicit brew, rolls of cannabis sativa and stolen property recovered from her house.