Police officers have launched a manhunt for three individuals suspected of running a new robbery syndicate targeting business entities in Nairobi County.
The trio was captured by CCTV cameras on Monday, October 25, swindling unsuspecting traders at a shop along Kiambu Road. The victims alleged that they were robbed within five minutes.
The two traders who were reportedly swindled identified the accused as persons of Asian descent. The CCTV cameras inside the shop captured two suspects, a man and a woman, entering the liquor store.
“They approached and asked me to sell them a five-litre bottle of alcohol. The lady was, in fact, the one seeking to purchase it. I, however, told them that the brand they wanted was unavailable,” one trader explained.
As the woman and the seller conversed, the man was captured giving an old Ksh50 note to another lady at the counter.
Police believe that the note was used to put the woman in a trance. This is a state of semi-consciousness in which a person is not self-aware.
“At that point, they asked to withdraw Ksh97,000. I cross-checked the amount available and told them that we only had Ksh60,000,” the lady at the counter narrated.
As the two suspects and the lady discussed, a third woman believed to be part of the gang entered the shop and started a conversation with the other seller.
This move was in a bid to distract her from focusing on the discussion centering around her colleague.
The two other suspects, meanwhile, escorted the lady to another counter where she handed over bundles of money unknowingly. One of the suspects, the man, was captured counting and pocketing the cash, believed to amount to over Ksh50,000.
“After they all left the shop. I felt like I was back to my senses. I decided to pick the money and head over to the office, something that I rarely do. I then realised that we were swindled. It happened so fast, in five minutes," the lady at the counter stated.
They all wondered how they handed over the cash, without suspecting they were being conned.
The two ladies reported the case at Ruiru police station.
Watch video/ Citizen TV
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