A covert attempt to siphon jet fuel and smuggle it out of Wilson Airport has been thwarted after detectives from the Kenya Airports Police Unit intercepted a suspicious vehicle within the airport precincts.

In a statement by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, the operation unfolded when officers stopped a white Mitsubishi Canter, which had been attempting to blend in with routine airport activity.

A search of the vehicle led to the discovery of four drums, each containing 200 litres of jet fuel.

“The drama unfolded when detectives intercepted a white Mitsubishi Canter, registration KBM 647D, lurking within the airport precincts,” DCI said. “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 indicate that the fuel had been siphoned from an aircraft undergoing maintenance at the NASD hangar.

The aircraft, operated by Airworks Aviation, is believed to have been targeted while stationed for routine servicing.

Police said the suspects intended to exit the facility undetected, but their plan was foiled before they could leave the airport.

The alleged owner of the consignment, Gladys Ndumba Kanairo, was found without a valid gate pass. Authorities also established that the vehicle lacked the required authorisation from the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority to transport petroleum products.

Kanairo was arrested alongside the driver, Timothy Wambugu Maina, and two accomplices, Kennedy Njoka Kinuthia and Abdulmalik Musinga.

The four are currently in police custody undergoing processing, with detectives preparing to arraign them in court. The impounded vehicle and recovered fuel have been retained as exhibits as investigations continue.