This archive report was first published on 18 June 2020.
On Wednesday, detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) made a significant breakthrough in the fight against car theft, recovering five stolen vehicles and arresting three members of a syndicate operating in the South Rift region.
The three suspects were found in possession of three of the vehicles in Kitale town, while the fourth vehicle was discovered at a car wash in Kiminini and the fifth in Matunda.
This follows the previous arrest of the suspected syndicate mastermind, 25-year-old Aaron Kibet Chepkwony, on June 12, 2020, while driving a stolen vehicle on the Sotik-Kericho road.
According to the DCI, a multi-agency team was deployed to hunt down the gang following reports of over 11 cases of vehicle theft linked to them.
“The gang targets parked and unsecured motor vehicles, using fake registration plates before selling them to unsuspecting buyers,” said the DCI. “We caution the public of this and urge anyone who may have lost their cars to report to DCI Kitale with proof of ownership for identification.”
The four arrested suspects are set to be charged as investigations continue in pursuit of more recoveries and neutralizing the entire syndicate.
