Police in Molo have arrested six suspects who are believed to be part of the “Kata Hema” gang, a criminal group that has been terrorizing lorry drivers and stealing their goods.
The suspects were apprehended on Monday night after police received a tip-off from a lorry driver who had escaped an attempted robbery by the gang.
According to the police, the gang operates on a stretch of the Nakuru-Eldoret highway between Salgaa and Molo, where they target lorries that are in transit or parked at night.
The gang members use crude weapons such as machetes, iron bars, and stones to attack the drivers and force them to surrender their valuables and cargo.
The police said that the gang has been involved in several cases of lorry theft and vandalism in the past few months, causing losses of millions of shillings to the transport sector.
The police also recovered some of the stolen goods, including sacks of maize, sugar, and rice, from the suspects’ hideout.
The suspects are expected to be arraigned in court today to face charges of robbery with violence, malicious damage to property, and possession of stolen goods.
The police have urged lorry drivers and owners to be vigilant and report any suspicious activities along the highway.
They have also vowed to intensify patrols and crackdowns on the gang and other criminal elements that are posing a threat to the security and economy of the region.
