The National Police Service (NPS) has announced a crackdown on motor vehicle theft syndicates as efforts to combat the rising incidents of car theft intensify.
As part of the crackdown, the NPS conducted a coordinated, intelligence-led operation along Kangundo Road on Tuesday, April 8, targeting suspected car dismantling yards.
According to authorities, the operation led to the discovery of several establishments believed to be involved in the unlawful dismantling of stolen vehicles.
An array of items was discovered at several yards, including various motor vehicle number plates, valuable motor vehicle parts, and metal-cutting equipment typically used in dismantling automobiles.
One of the biggest indicators that the yards were hubs for motor vehicle theft was the presence of three vehicles with altered chassis numbers. Police also intercepted another vehicle suspected to be fitted with counterfeit number plates.
In the wake of the operation, three suspects were arrested at the scene on Tuesday, while four vehicles were seized and towed to the DCI headquarters for forensic verification.
The operation came just weeks after a similar one in Kisauni, where two suspects were arrested with two number plates, two logbooks, and a key programming machine.
The two, a 42-year-old and a 34-year-old, were arrested in Kisauni after they were traced to having a vehicle that had been reported lost at the Buruburu police station in Nairobi.
Following that arrest, detectives discovered a new way thieves had come up with to steal vehicles, involving tampering with the tracing devices, removing them, and dumping them at undisclosed places away from the car to throw off anyone trying to find a stolen car.
The key programming machine is also crucial for thieves in their operation, as it is used to create new keys, particularly for modern cars with transponder chips or keyless entry systems.
Meanwhile, a recent survey by the Association of Kenyan Insurers (AKI) revealed that vehicles with registration numbers beginning with KDs were the most appealing to car thieves. Station wagons were the most preferred vehicle shape.
The survey also uncovered another interesting dynamic among car thieves, who apparently prefer white vehicles to any other colour.
