The gang is believed to be behind a series of high-profile break-ins that have left countless victims grappling with losses.
The suspects, ranging in age from 36 to 50, have been implicated in numerous break-ins involving stolen hardware goods, steel products, lubricants, and motor vehicle spare parts.
The operation that led to their arrest was a collaborative effort between the DCI’s Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau (CRIB) in Nairobi and DCI Kasarani.
They were apprehended after a painstaking search of their hideouts in Nairobi and its outskirts.
During the operation, the suspects led detectives to a significant recovery site in Faith Estate – Riverside Court, Juja – Murera, where 463 cartons of lubricants were found.
These lubricants had been stolen from a go-down at Thika Industrial Park. Additionally, four motor vehicles linked to the break-ins were also seized.
The ongoing investigation unveiled that this gang was behind the April 2024 break-in at a market in Mwiki, where hardware items and laptops were stolen from two go-downs.
In another alarming incident on July 26, 2024, the gang was involved in a violent attack on a steel maker in Kamulu.
They scaled the walls, bound two security guards with ropes, ambushed night shift workers, and killed one before making off with tonnes of nails and barbed wire.
Nairobi’s crime landscape remains concerning. A January 2024 study by Numbeo ranked Nairobi as the 9th most dangerous city in Africa based on its crime index.
The city’s crime index stands at 59.2 with a safety index of 40.8, and it is ranked 65th globally for safety concerns.
The Economic Survey 2024 reveals a troubling increase in crime rates. Nairobi reported 11,108 cases in 2023, a significant rise of 2,596 cases from 2022.
Kiambu, with 9,532 cases, also saw a sharp increase of 1,688 cases over the same period.
The majority of reported crimes in Nairobi were committed by men, accounting for 8,942 cases, while women were responsible for 2,167 cases.
Similarly, in Kiambu, men accounted for 6,255 cases and women 3,230.
