A senior police officer alongside a civilian has been detained following the abduction and robbery of a couple conducting online business in Nairobi.
The victims had traveled to Baba Dogo around 3 pm to deliver an Apple smartwatch to a customer who had placed an order online. Upon arrival, three men forced them into a white Toyota Axio where two other suspects awaited.
The male victim was handcuffed as the gang drove towards Thika Road. At a petrol station in Roasters along Thika Road, the suspects demanded the man withdraw money. Although he withdrew Sh17,000, the gang rejected it and insisted on Sh1 million.
The suspects then proceeded to a bank in Githurai, holding the wife hostage in the vehicle while ordering the man to withdraw more funds. Inside the bank, the victim discreetly alerted a teller, who informed police officers stationed there.
Responding officers, assisted by a nearby patrol, pursued the suspects. Three fled on foot, while the driver sped off with the female victim. Police fired warning shots and apprehended one suspect, who confessed to the involvement of five people and identified the others, including the vehicle owner.
Authorities are investigating allegations that two suspects are police officers, with one already arrested. The gang stole five mobile phones valued at about Sh120,000 and an Apple smartwatch worth approximately Sh2,500. The female victim was later released unharmed near Kamiti Road.
Police have launched a manhunt for the remaining suspects and are probing possible links to similar crimes, noting such incidents have increased despite ongoing efforts to curb them.
