Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) detectives have arrested three suspected members of a highway gang, accused of terrorising motorists.
In a statement on Monday, January 18, the detectives, drawn from Rabai sub-county, apprehended the suspects believed to be terrorising motorists, especially truck drivers, along the Nairobi-Mombasa highway.
According to the detectives, the arrest followed a targeted operation in the Mbarikani area after receiving a tip-off from members of the public.
“Detectives from Rabai Sub-County have arrested three suspects connected to a notorious highway robbery gang that has been terrorising truck drivers along the Mombasa-Nairobi highway,” DCI said in a statement.
During the operation, police recovered a range of items suspected to be linked to the gang’s activities, including foreign currency, two pairs of military boots, 14 rolls of bhang, 32 pieces of mug glass, mobile phone chargers, two bales of carrier bags, and an HCL computer keyboard.
Police identified the recovered items in several cases of robbery reported at the nearby police station, implicating the suspects and indicating their involvement in unlawful activities along the highway.
They allege the trio is linked to a larger network accused of conducting robberies near the Bonje area in Mazeras township. They usually target truck drivers.
The suspects are currently held in custody as investigations intensify. The recovered goods, police say, are secured and will be used as exhibits in court after the arraignment.
Motorists along the highway have recently raised concerns about gang attacks that have since remained a security concern. The criminals usually use tactical methods to intercept long-distance trucks in isolated stretches.
In June 2025, a gang hijacked a truck that was transporting gypsum boards. One member of the gang dashed into the road, forcing the driver to swerve before being abducted together with his crew. The truck was later found, but its cargo had been stripped off.
In the same month, a five-person gang intercepted a lorry in the Thangeni area near Kibwezi after the driver slowed down for speed bumps. The gang would later steal over 500 bags of the rice being transported. The truck was later found abandoned at a nearby shopping centre.
DCI also arrested several suspects in the case that were linked to a string of robberies.
The gangs have evolved their tactics of intercepting trucks, which include posing as police officers, where they do not wear reflector jackets and use fake police flags to stop vehicles before robbing them.
Other tactics criminals use include placing objects, such as stones, to block the road and gaining entry to vehicles when the driver slows for bumps. They also pose as stranded passengers, prompting the drivers to carry them before turning out to be a gang member.
