Kericho police arrest 3 suspected car thieves

Police in Kericho have arrested three people suspected to be behind the theft and sale of motor vehicles in the South Rift region.

The suspects were grabbed as they allegedly tried to sell a stolen Toyota Probox, whose registration details had been tampered with.

The suspects were arrested in the Kipchimchim area on the outskirts of Kericho town on Tuesday. 

“The manhunt and subsequent arrest of the trio followed a report of the theft of a Toyota Probox registration number KCQ 318K on January 16, 2022 at Litein Police Station,” said a tweet from the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI).

The suspects allegedly hid the vehicle for a week as they sought to secure fake number plates before selling it to unsuspecting buyers.

“Armed with forged documents and a registration number KCU 994X, the suspects emerged at Kipchimchim trading centre where they hoped to sell the car,” the DCI said.

Detectives from the Londiani and Kericho police stations, who had been trailing the suspects, pounced on them as they sealed the deal with the prospective buyer.

The motor vehicle was taken to the Kericho Police Station, where the suspects were detained for questioning.

Kericho County Police Commander Silas Gichunge said the suspects will be arraigned once investigations are completed.

The arrest has lifted the lid on a criminal gang operating in the region. 

Last year, the police unearthed a car theft syndicate in Uasin Gishu, Kakamega and Trans Nzoia counties.

Some of the vehicles stolen in Bomet and Kericho counties were dismantled at a garage in South Nyanza and parts sold as spares to unsuspecting car owners.

Some 23 vehicles were stolen in the South Rift region in 2019, with Bomet the most affected. 

Several suspects were arrested and charged in court after buyers produced motor vehicle sale agreements.

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