Four terror suspects arrested in Mombasa last week have been remanded in police custody for 21 days to allow police complete investigations.
Shanzu Resident magistrate Diana Mochache said the submissions made by the state seeking to have Nasra Faiz Hyder, Salim Mohamed Rashid, Aisha Faiz Hyder and Fatuma Mohamed Rashid to be detained to allow for further investigations had established a compelling reason to warrant their detention.
The suspects who are alleged to be member of ISIS among them a mother and a daughter have been in police custody since Friday when they were nabbed by Anti-terrorism police.
“After considering the application made by the state counsel, the said investigations requires time to analyze intelligence information that led to the arrest of the suspects, the connection of the suspects to ISIS as well as analysis on their mobile phones and laptops recovered from their possession,” said Mochache.
The state had requested to detain the suspects for 30 days but the magistrate declined the request saying 21 days were enough for investigations.
She also directed the investigating officers to ensure that the suspects have access to basic needs like tooth brushes as well as to change their clothes while in police custody.
“Let the investigating officers ensure that the suspects while in custody are treated like human beings for the women to be provided with necessities and other needs required by women,” said Mochache.
State prosecutor Berly Marinda told the court that two of the suspects were intercepted while en-route to Syria after being arrested at the border of Syria and Turkey by Turkish police who handed them over to the Kenyan embassy.
Marinda informed the court that police needed more time to analyze mobile phones and laptops recovered from the suspects.
“The Syrian territory is highly infiltrated by ISIS and its suspected that suspects are sympathizers of ISIS and were traveling to join the Islamic fighters,” said Marinda.
