Gangs within Nairobi hatched a new trick targeting Kenyans withdrawing money in bulk from banks and other financial institutions.
In a statement by the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) on Thursday, February 16, gang members camped at bank premises scouting for their victims.
DCI indicated that criminals would wait at the parking lots and then task one of their members to follow the victims to the bank.
At the bank, other gang members pose as clients intending to open a bank account or make cash deposits. While inside, the thugs monitor the victim and other customers making withdrawals even as they alert their colleagues waiting outside.
Once a customer is done making the withdrawals and getting back into their car, the gang follows them to their destination before launching their attack.
In such a scenario, a construction developer lost Ksh50,000 he had to a conniving gang of four members that had trailed him for close to half a day.
DCI indicated that the developer had gone to the bank to withdraw Ksh350,000 to pay construction workers at a site in Nairobi's South C.
"As one of the suspects monitored the victim's movement, another armed with a catapult and a spark plug headed for the driver's window. The third was the getaway driver.
"With the catapult, the suspect shattered the driver's window and stole Ksh50,000 before beckoning his partner to jump in their car. Luckily, the victim had alighted with the larger sum of Ksh300,000 and paid his workers," read the statement in part.
Detectives apprehended the suspects after recovering CCTV footage at the bank and adjacent buildings next to the construction site.
A catapult and nine spark plugs were retrieved during the arrest of the four.
'The suspects have since been arraigned at Kibera Law Courts where they pleaded not guilty to three counts: Conspiracy to commit a felony contrary to section 393 of the penal code; Stealing from a locked motor vehicle contrary to section 279(g) of the penal code; and malicious injury to property contrary to section 339 of the penal code," the DCI stated.
Consequently, Kenyans were asked to be cautious of their surroundings while making large sum withdrawals.
