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Four IS suspects charged in Kenyan court

Xinhua, February 21, 2017 Adjust font size:

Four suspected members of the Islamic State (IS) were on Monday charged with terrorism related charges in a Kenyan court.

The suspects were not allowed to take plea before a Mombasa Magistrate Court until detectives complete their investigation.

The four- Nasra Faiz Hyder, Salim Mohammed Rashid, Aisha Faiz Hyder and Fatuma Mohammed, were arraigned in the court accused of being ISIS sympathizers.

Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) said two of the four accused suspects were arrested enroute to Syria where they were allegedly going to join the ISIS terrorist group.

"They were intercepted at the border of Syria and Turkey by police and handed over to Kenyan embassy in Turkey who facilitated their deportation. The Syrian territory border is infiltrated by ISIS, they were travelling to join them," said the prosecution in its application.

The four were remanded in police custody for 21 days after Shanzu Principal magistrate Daina Mochache granted police more days to complete the investigation.

While making her ruling, Mochache said the investigation was complex and hence police required more time to continue detaining the suspects.

Mochache said detectives need more time to extract data from mobile phones, and laptops seized from the suspect to assist in the investigation. The suspects were arrested on Saturday in major operation by anti terrorism police officers.

"The offence of terrorism is like chain link, or web, it takes time to investigate each and every chain. The court hereby grants investigation officer 21 days to investigate this case," ruled Mochache.

Police say they have launched investigation with a view to arresting more suspects or averting any possible terrorist attacks in the country.

Last year, two medical students were arrested in the coastal region of Malindi for alleged links with the Islamic State.

Mohamed Shukri and Abdulrazak Abdinuur were arrested during a joint operation by Mombasa and Nairobi anti-terror police. The two are attached to Malindi sub-county hospital.

The two were planning to acquire fake travel documents to facilitate their escape to Somalia.

A senior ATPU officer had stated that the two students were part of a wide network of medical students targeted by ISIS after being promised better job. Endit