A businessman was arrested in Marsabit Town on Monday over allegations that he financed terrorism using a cryptocurrency network, according to authorities.
The Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU) reported that investigators had collected significant evidence linking Abdisalam Hassan to suspected terror-related financial operations.
The operation followed weeks of surveillance and coordination between regional security teams, who have increasingly been monitoring digital financial channels believed to be used by extremist groups.
His arrest immediately drew strong protests from his family, who rejected the accusations and demanded that he be released without conditions.
Relatives argued that Abdisalam is a well-known trader in the region and insisted he had no ties to any criminal activities.
Community elders also called for transparency, urging authorities to make public the basis for the arrest in order to quell rising tension in the area.
Tensions rose outside the police station as relatives and supporters confronted officers, leading the ATPU to quietly move the suspect to Nairobi for security reasons.
Witnesses said police increased security around the station amid fears that the standoff could escalate further.
Police said Abdisalam is expected to be arraigned on Tuesday, together with a Nairobi-based lawyer who was separately apprehended in Mombasa in connection with similar terrorism-financing claims.
The lawyer’s arrest, according to investigators, is part of a broader crackdown on suspected financial networks believed to support extremist operations across the country.
Officials have withheld additional information, citing the ongoing investigation.
However, security analysts note that the use of cryptocurrency in terror financing has become a growing concern for law enforcement, prompting enhanced monitoring and collaboration between local agencies and international partners.
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