A carjacking suspect on Friday fled from detectives after he was caught red-handed driving a stolen vehicle in Nakuru County.
According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), detectives had trapped the suspect in a well-laid ambush after conducting investigations into a car theft syndicate in the County.
The investigative agency revealed that the man was caught driving a numberless Toyota Probox, which raised an alarm among the detectives.
Upon inspecting the vehicle's chassis, the officers discovered that the vehicle had a registration number.
This forced the police to seek more information from the suspect, a move that saw them get into a confrontation with the suspected carjacker.
"A search from its chassis revealed its registration and the suspect who has no few antics after occasional confrontations with the law managed to dart away leaving the vehicle.
"Efforts are in high gear to have him in police custody," DCI's statement read in part.
However, despite the failed arrest, detectives managed to arrest another suspect who was caught with a stolen Toyota Vitz car believed to belong to a Nairobi city dweller.
According to DCI's account, the suspect is believed to be part of a carjacking ring operating within the Nairobi, Nyeri, Kiambu and Machakos counties.
The agency noted that they were able to track down the suspect after interrogating other suspects who were arrested in Nyeri.
"After scrupulous interrogation on the notorious motor vehicle theft suspects arrested yesterday in Nairobi and Nyeri counties, DCI sleuths deployed to bring to their knees all syndicates implicated in the vice proceeded to Nakuru county in a bid to effect more accomplices and recover stolen motor vehicles," the DCI stated.
So far, nine suspects linked to car theft have been arrested in an intelligence-led operation by detectives drawn from the Nairobi Regional Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau.
Among them are six suspects who were arrested in Nairobi, Kiambu and Nyeri on Friday. During the operation, police recovered several stolen cars.
The first suspect was arrested in the Makongeni area in Thika where detectives recovered a car inside the suspect's house. Upon further interrogation, the suspect led the detectives to Kenyatta Road in Juja where his accomplice was arrested with a suspected stolen white Toyota Fielder.
"On further interrogation, the suspects confessed to having earlier stolen a red Isuzu DMAX within Kayole, which they sold to a buyer in Nyeri through one of their accomplices," DCI officers noted.
The team then proceeded to Naromoru, Nyeri County where the said vehicle was recovered while being driven. The suspect was also arrested and escorted to DCI offices in Nairobi.
After investigative interviewing of the suspects, a fourth suspect was cornered within the Githurai area of Nairobi, who led the sleuths to the Limuru Flyover area where his partner in crime was arrested.
The sixth suspect was found in possession of a suspected stolen Toyota Corolla. Later in the evening, another of their accomplices was traced to and arrested at Kariobangi.
“Meanwhile, the operation continues as detectives seek to bring the unbecoming trend of car thievery to a stop,” DCI noted.
