Detectives apprehended five individuals on Thursday suspected of participating in a string of robberies across Nairobi.
According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), these individuals are notorious for targeting locked vehicles within the city. Their modus operandi typically involves stealing valuables from cars left unattended.
The suspects are accused of pilfering approximately Sh900,000 and USD 15,000 from a businessman residing in Nairobi’s South C area just two weeks prior.
The victim, distressed by the incident, reported the robbery at Akila Police Station in Lang’ata. He recounted that he had parked his BMW X1 along Muhoho Road, opposite Rubis Petrol Station, and briefly entered an auto parts shop. Within minutes, the suspects struck, breaking into his vehicle.
Upon returning to his car, the victim discovered a shattered rear window and his bag containing the money missing. Additionally, his KCB, DTB, and Gulf African Bank ATM cards, national ID card, smart driving license, and various work-related documents were also gone.
Later that day, the victim received notifications indicating unauthorized withdrawals from his KCB and DTB accounts at an ATM in Embakasi.
Following the incident, the Nairobi region Crime Research team initiated a forensic investigation into the suspects’ activities. With support from the Operations Unit, detectives arrested the first suspect, identified through nearby CCTV footage capturing the break-in.
The footage also revealed the second and third suspects acting as lookouts while the first suspect smashed the car window using a catapult. Meanwhile, a fifth suspect, a female, surveilled the victim, waiting in a Mazda Demio getaway vehicle fitted with stolen registration plates.
One by one, the suspects were apprehended, leading investigators to trace the spy vehicle to Tsavo Gardens.
During the vehicle search, police recovered the victim’s KCB ATM card and tools used for car break-ins, including a catapult.
The five suspects were taken to DCI Lang’ata offices for processing ahead of the long weekend. Police efforts are underway to locate a second vehicle and apprehend a sixth accomplice who fled to Mombasa.
Detectives suspect that this syndicate is connected to another group of suspects arrested on February 16 of the previous year, also involved in car break-ins using similar methods in South C, Nairobi.
