3 motor vehicle theft suspects killed in shootout with police » Capital News

NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 29 – Three men believed to be part of a car theft syndicate around the city were on Friday morning killed following a gun battle with security officers in Nairobi’s Ruiru sub-county.

The armed suspects were neutralized by a joint team of detectives from Githurai, Kimbo and Mwiki, in a fierce shootout that saw a stolen motor vehicle recovered.

The Directorate of criminal Investigation (DCI) said in a statement that detectives had embarked on a night patrol in the area following reports of motor vehicle theft before the early morning incident.

“Informed by alarming reports of stolen motor vehicles from parking yards and residential places across Ruiru sub-county, the joint team of officers had kept a night-long vigil patrolling their areas of jurisdiction. 30 minutes into the devil’s hour, the sleuths observed some suspicious activity by four men onboard a KBZ 113S Toyota Probox, just as it joined the murram road connecting Mwiki-Kasarani and Githurai 45 roads,” the DCI said.

The agency said the suspects declined a security check request from the officers and opened fire on officers as they sped off from the scene in a desperate attempt to flee.

“The law enforcers signaled the vehicle to pull over for a security check but the driver sped off, prompting a hot chase. In a bid to extend their 40th day which seemed to be quickly approaching, the fleeing occupants opened fire frenziedly at the officers, who immediately replied with calculated rapid shots,” the DCI said.

When the guns went silent, three of the four-man gang lay dead, but one managed to bolt out into the cover of darkness. He is believed to have sustained gunshot wounds and is being sought.

The DCI said that none of their officers was injured in the ensuing melee.

The agency stated that crime scene detectives also recovered a fire arm at the scene.

Also recovered was the vehicle’s ignition set which was found to have been mastered and an improvised metallic rod used as a key to ignite the vehicle.

The DCI further said the agency had since established the vehicle’s owner.

“As word spread on the neutralized car stealing gang, a Kayole-based man who had woken up to the shock of his life after finding his parking space vacant contacted the police and confirmed that the recovered vehicle was his,” the agency stated.

The bodies of the victims were moved to a city morgue awaiting identification.