How Blunder Made After Stop at Posh Hotel Led to the Arrest of Notorious Nairobi Gang
Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) detectives on Wednesday arrested a gang of six men who had been posing as matatu operators in Parklands to rob city residents.
The gang allegedly pretended to be matatu operators only to turn against passengers robbing them of their valuables, kidnapping others and later abandoning them after staging their criminal activities.
The six who have been operating for a while on board a matatu with a Kenyan registration number, were arrested following a tip-off from a concerned member of the public.
The said informer happened to have witnessed firsthand the accident where another vehicle was hit and badly damaged by the said matatu along Kipande Road in Nairobi.
Motorists caught up in traffic in the Westlands area, Nairobi County.
Photo: Kenyans.co.ke
Prior to the accident, the robbers had kidnapped and robbed a passenger who had just left a high-end hotel in Westlands only to be involved in a self-inflicted accident after which they fled the scene.
On the fateful day, the thugs disguised as matatu operators heading to town are reported to have picked a passenger outside the hotel in question only for part of the gang members to disembark from the matatu at the next stage leaving the lady at the mercy of their fellow robbers.
Upon starting their mission, the lady started screaming and calling for help causing the robbers to panic, causing an accident that gave them up to the informer.
The concerned member of the public later notified the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) officers who swooped in and arrested the criminals.
Immediately after receiving the tip, a quick-witted team of OSU detectives was assembled and dispatched on a mission that led to the arrest of the six including a receiver who was found in possession of 5 mobile phones and one tablet.
During the arrest, a female member of the gang fled. The officers have since launched a manhunt as efforts to arrest her.
Security officers are appealing to anyone who may have fallen victim to the activities of the arrested gang to come forward and report to the DCI headquarters.
Separately, a stealth operation by police officers from Yala Police Station resulted in a major breakthrough with the arrest of three notorious machete-wielding gang members who have been instilling fear in the hearts of innocent residents of Ginga village in Gem, Yala Sub-County. The three have been placed in custody for processing pending arraignment.
Directorate of Criminal Investigation Headquarters in Kiambu.
Photo
Directorate of Criminal Investigations
