Police in Kendu Bay on the evening of Sunday, August 29, apprehended four people caught stealing goods worth Ksh1.8 million from a lorry.
According to a statement issued by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the four had disguised themselves as police officers in a bid to steal steel rods from the lorry undetected.
The lorry had been dispatched from a Kisumu-based iron processing company and was headed to Kisii to make a delivery.
The operation by the four robbers, however, backfired after police were alerted by a director of the steel manufacturing company after the lorry diverted from the designated route and headed towards Kendu Bay.
"This prompted the director of the company to alert police officers based at Kendu Bay. The law enforcers acted swiftly by immediately pursuing the lorry," the DCI stated.
"They caught up with it at Rakwaro Kamwala area, where it had stopped and the metal rods were being offloaded."
The armed robbers opened fire at the officers and managed to evade capture, disappearing in the shores of Lake Victoria.
However, during the scuffle, the officers managed to nab four of their accomplices. The four were taken to Kendu Bay Police station for questioning.
"A police certificate of appointment, I.D card and a national hospital insurance card were recovered at the scene. Also recovered were a police smoke jacket and a police beret," the DCI stated.
The detectives are trying to establish if the documents recovered from the scene are authentic and whether they could be linked to the armed suspects who fled the scene.
The DCI also urged Kenyans to divulge any information in regards to the escapees.
