Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have arrested six suspects linked to a series of robbery incidents in Meru and recovered several items including guns.
In a statement on Tuesday morning, the DCI revealed that the intelligence-led operation was conducted through a joint team of detectives from Mutuati and Igembe North Sub-Counties.
During the crackdown conducted after weeks of surveillance, the DCI officers stormed the suspects' hideouts in Meru, arresting them before they could escape.
According to the detectives, upon the arrest of the six suspects, they recovered several items, including two Falcon pistols and three live ammunition.
Also recovered at the scene were two numberless motorcycles, stripped motorcycle parts, and other incriminating exhibits, depicting the extent of the gang's entrenched criminal activities.
Following their arrest, the ballistics experts from the DCI Headquarters in Nairobi immediately began a forensic analysis of the recovered firearms to ascertain the links to any crimes they may have been used to commit.
The six suspects underwent processing and are currently under police custody, waiting for their arraignment today, Tuesday, November 18.
While announcing the arrest of the robbery suspects, the DCI officers also issued a stern warning to other criminal gangs, warning them that their days are numbered.
In the statement, the detectives revealed plans to intensify their crackdown during this festive season, with members of the public urged to exercise vigilance.
Meanwhile, the latest arrests come hardly a week after the DCI warned Kenyans about the rise in cases of robbery with violence, mainly linked to online dating encounters.
In its advisory issued on Thursday, November 13, the detectives revealed a disturbing trend of violent robberies originating from interactions on online dating platforms, where unsuspecting individuals are lured into dangerous situations under the pretext of friendship or romance.
According to the DCI, victims are often approached on dating apps or social media and invited to meet in private or unfamiliar locations, which culminate in ambushes, robberies, and, in some cases, physical assaults.
