Police in Kitale, Trans Nzoia County are searching for three notorious gang members who are leading car break-ins in the area.
For instance, in CCTV footage dated Saturday October 19 seen by Kenyans.co.ke, burglars have become sophisticated and are now employing psychological tactics to force their way into people's cars.
In a recent case reported in Kitale, Trans Nzoia County, daring thieves were caught on camera attempting to steal Ksh500,000 left unattended inside a car at a parking lot of a business complex located in the bustling town.
The footage clearly shows, the thieves meticulously going about their plan. At first they go about checking whether parked cars are occupied. They also check whether they are locked before proceeding to break in.
In the most recent case, the victim had parked his vehicle along the Oginga Odinga Road at around 13:00 hrs to go and run some errands. He would however become distraught after finding out that his Ksh500,000 was missing.
The video footage shows a few minutes after the victim had parked his vehicle to go and run his errands, one of the gang members was seen approaching the vehicle, with the intention of breaking in, highlighting how such cases have become even more daring.
The gang members were depicted inspecting whether the vehicle's alarm was armed. Once they confirm the alarm is not armed, they proceed to park another vehicle behind the victim's car.
In this case, the first gang member attempts to drive attention away from his accomplices by blocking view paths. The second member then opens the car door with a master key. The gang then gains access to the car in under 30 seconds. Just like that, the gang was able to steal the Ksh 500,000 reported to have been in the vehicle.
According to Kitale residents, car break-ins cases have been on the rise recently. They are now calling upon authorities to restore security in the area.
"This theft has been ongoing for a long time, we would like the government to come for them, expose them, and arrest them", a resident complained during an interview with Citizen TV.
This is an updated breed of car robberies where burglars are no longer using guns as previously witnessed.
Kitale Governor George Natembeya has assured the residents that the County Government has already pinpointed areas where this sort of crime is most prevalent.
"CCTV footage will come in handy to help us identify the thieves in real time and arrest them. Many businessmen and investors who are injecting money to the county are losing their valuables in these schemes", the Governor said.
The Head of DCI in Kitale Paul Songok has assured residents that they are working to track down the suspects. He has also challenged the residents to report any suspicious activities.
