Detectives in Kibwezi, Makueni County, have initiated a thorough search for a group of highway robbers active in the region. This action follows the recovery of 129 bags of rice that were stolen from a truck on Saturday, December 21.
The incident took place in the Machinery area of Kambu. According to police reports, the truck driver was ambushed by four assailants on motorcycles.
In his statement to the Makindu police station, the driver recounted that the gang overpowered him, assaulted him, and forcibly removed him from the vehicle.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations reported that the group of four unloaded 500 bags of rice, each weighing 25 kg, from the truck before abandoning the empty vehicle and dividing the stolen goods among themselves. After removing the cargo, the robbers fled the scene, leaving the driver near Makindu.
Following a tip-off, officers from DCI Makindu were able to trace one of the suspects to his residence. However, upon realizing the police were present, the suspect escaped with his wife. A search of the suspect’s property resulted in the recovery of 129 bags of the stolen rice, which were concealed with a black polythene outside the house.
Authorities are now concentrating on retrieving the remaining stolen items and apprehending the gang members. The DCI stated that highway robberies have significantly decreased in the country over the years, attributing this trend to intensified operations by security personnel.
Historically, such attacks were prevalent on major highways, but police have successfully resolved past incidents by capturing the masterminds behind them.
Some criminals steal valuables and abandon trucks by the roadside, while others employ spikes to immobilize targeted vehicles, primarily transit trucks, before stealing their cargo. Additionally, police report that suspects often drug drivers and their assistants before leaving them in remote areas and absconding with their trucks.
