Police have arrested two individuals suspected of stealing from the public using a firearm in the Elgon View and Naiberi area of Uasin Gishu County.
Speaking to the media yesterday, County Police Commander, Benjamin Mwanthi, said that following the recently reported cases of phone robbery from members of the public, the police department was on high alert to bring the suspects to book.
“Since last week we had two guys on the radar who have been disturbing the public, especially those who are on morning runs and jogs in areas of Elgon View and Naiberi, we successfully traced them from Naiberi to the exact location where we found them and made an arrest,” affirmed Mwanthi.
The county police Boss noted that during the arrest the accused were found armed with a revolver gun with six rounds of ammunition which members of the public identified as the weapon they used during burglary. He further added that the apprehended suspects volunteered to show the police where they sold these stolen phones.
“We have gone to a phone store in Petrishah, the location of the buyer who acquires these phones once they are stolen from individuals and resold afterwards. Unfortunately, we have discovered he purchases these phones at a maximum of Sh 6,000 despite the owners acquiring them at a higher value which is unfair to the victims,” he added.
Mwanthi highlighted that the buyer was also brought into custody for further questioning and investigation. He urged public victims of phone robbery to contact the police station for assistance and further investigation.
“Four phone robbery cases have been reported by the police, but 42 phones were recovered during a search. Victims are urged to report to Eldoret police station for assistance,” he said.
County police commander Benjamin Mwanthi urges the public to report any motorbike incidents involving the suspect, who is snatching phones and using the motorbike to flee. Mwanthi further said that the suspects are working alone without any other associates known.
He explained the suspects, aged 20-25, from Nairobi to Eldoret were found with stolen phones.
In his remarks, the County Criminal Investigations Officer (CCIO) Daniel Muleli said that they were lucky to finally arrest the suspects and thanked members of the public for reporting to the authorities.
Lastly, the DCI Boss indicated that they had been tracking them for a week using available technology to identify the suspects. “We are going to file a report and interrogate them further to know their accomplices and if they are working with other unknown associates,” he said.