Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) are holding five suspects that have been terrorising taxi drivers in Kiambu county.
The suspects; Peter Njoroge Kirika, John Muchoki Gatuhu, John Kimani Nganga, Peter Mwangi Murima and Benson Itimu Kariuki are said to be behind a spate of carjackings in Githurai, Ruiru and Kirigiti, targeting Little Cab drivers.
Investigations by the DCI revealed that one of the gang members hails a cab as a passenger and thereafter commanders the vehicle to a secluded area where his accomplices join him.
“So organised are the gang members, that one of them poses like the usual cab passenger but once inside the cab, he squeezes the driver’s neck from the back seat and commandeers the car,” the DCI said.
The gang then assaults the cab driver, robs them of their valuables before vandalizing the vehicle.
“In one such instance, on February 10th, one of the thugs using a fake identity requested to be taken to Kirigiti from Githurai Kimbo, to allegedly pick his ailing mother who needed urgent medical attention. The unsuspecting cab driver then set off for the journey but on reaching Kirigiti where they were supposed to pick an ailing woman, a male adult emerged & entered the vehicle instead.
“The vehicle was then comandeered to Sasisni coffee bushes where three more thugs emerged. They vandalised the vehicle making away with the headlights & tail lights, side mirrors, mirror switches, car battery and the spare wheel. No sooner had detectives completed their investigations on this incident, than the gang carjacked two other cab drivers in a similar fashion, robbing them of their valuables before vandalising their vehicles & abandoning them in Mwihoko, Githurai in the dead of the night. However, on Monday following intelligence leads, Githurai and Ruiru based detectives apprehended the criminals,” said the DCI.
Three of the suspects are ex-convicts for various capital offences, including robbery with violence and murder.
The gang is said to have a specialised mechanic who vandalizes a vehicle within minutes of a carjacking and a customer relations expert, who lures unsuspecting taxi drivers to their trap.
“A vehicle used by the gang, assorted keys, screw drivers, and sacks for carrying vandalised motor vehicle parts were also recovered,” the DCI noted.
“Also recovered were original identity cards belonging to victims of crime, which are used to register SIM cards and lure unsuspecting cab drivers. Also found, was a mobile phone for making taxi requests.”
Detectives on Wednesday also recovered a vandalised vehicle, a Toyota Ractis of registration plate number KCX 716G, in Githurai area.
The DCI sleuths are also hot on the heels of the crooked businessmen who profiteer from the sale of vandalized vehicle parts.
Meanwhile, the five suspects were arraigned Tuesday and remanded for ten more days to allow detectives to complete investigations.
