The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has warned car owners of a new era of criminals operating within Nairobi County and its environs targeting bank customers.
In a statement via their official X account, DCI noted that the criminals target bank customers withdrawing money in bulk.
They revealed how these gangs steal from unsuspecting Kenyans after monitoring them throughout the bank process.
“As the clientele go about their business in the banking halls, a member of the ring who also poses as a customer, monitors and identifies targets, usually those withdrawing cash in bulk, before signaling his accomplices who keep stealing glances from the parking area,” part of the statement reads.
According to the DCI, once the criminals have identified a target, they trail them to a spot of choice where they attack and steal the cash.
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“Using a hired vehicle that bears false registration numbers, they trail their targets to a choice spot before striking in whichever way as long as they get to steal the money,” DCI noted.
Moreover, the sleuths warned that sometimes victims of this crimes suffer grievous harm during the process of robbery.
Robbery Incident
They further highlighted one incident on October 7 this year where a gang robbed an unsuspecting Kenyan a sum of Sh1.5 million from his car left at a parking lot within the city.
“In one such incident on October 7, the gang targeted a client at Parklands as he walked out of DTB Bank housed at Diamond Plaza. Oblivious of the gang and its mode of operation, the to-be victim placed a sum of Sh1.5 million in his Mazda CX5 vehicle which was at the parking lot, locked the vehicle and stepped to a nearby shop to pick an item.
The man would only return a short moment later to find himself poorer than he had left home,” the statement read in part.
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In addition, the detectives noted that these criminals (some of whose images were captured on CCTV) used a Nissan Note bearing fake registration numbers.
The incident was reported at DCI Parklands, who launched investigations into the matter.
Nonetheless, the DCI have urged citizens with any information that might help in taking down this dangerous gang to share with them at #FichuakwaDCI or call the toll-free hotline 0800 722 203.
