Machakos: Six Suspects in Connection With a Syndicate of Livestock Theft Arrested
Written by RadioVuna on January 18, 2022
Six persons have been detained in Machakos County, Kenya, on suspicion of involvement in a cattle stealing conspiracy.
Anderson Njagi, the commander of the Athi River Sub County Police Department, claimed that five of the suspects were being held at the Athi River Police Station, while the sixth was being held at the Kiserian Police Station.
Pauline Muthoni, David Macharia, Peter Njenga, Ngenoi Hilalu, and Samwel Mwangi were among those held at Athi River police station, according to the police chief.
Machakos County and its surrounding areas, including Kajiado, Nairobi, and Kiambu counties, have had a spate of cattle thefts over the previous year and a half.” According to Njagi: “We were sure right from the beginning that this was organized crime being carried out by a cartel”.
Njagi was joined by Athi River Sub-county Criminal Investigations Officer John Kanda when he spoke to the media on Tuesday at his office in Athi River.
The cartels were on their radar, he added.
The Athi River DCI investigators and their colleagues from the headquarters’ Forensic Investigations Department assisted in the arrests, according to the police chief.
In the late hours of December 16th, 2021, we lost 15 herds of cattle taken from Portland village in Athi River. Forensic and physical investigations were carried out after this occurrence, according to Njagi.
Using this information, we were able to locate all six suspects at the location of the crime. As a result of our efforts, we have been able to secure a local intermediary. In order to rob the cattle and other animals, he walks about inspecting cattle bomas,” he said.
The Kajiado County police chief claimed that Hilau, a native of Oloitoktok but now residing in Kitengela, is a drug smuggling informer and conduit.
To carry the 15 cattle from Athi River to Naivasha, Macharia is driving a Mitsubishi truck KBG 876 K, according to Njagi. One of the evidence in the case has been taken from the Athi River police station.
He said that Njega is the cartel’s financial backer, funding all of the accused’ unlawful endeavors. In Ruiru, he was detained.
Meat shops surrounding Nairobi’s Eastern Bypass and Ruiru town in Kiambu County are owned by Njenga, the funder of all illegal companies. Njenga, for example, has multiple lawsuits pending in the courts of Kajiado, Matungulu, and Athi River, according to Njagi’s findings.
Muthoni is Njenga’s lover and the syndicate utilized her automobile for surveillance throughout their illicit operations, according to a detective. The seized vehicle that was being used to transport stolen cattle belongs to Maina.
In Njagi’s words, the cases will be merged into a single one.
DCI sleuths located in Athi River were granted a 14-day detention order by Mavoko Law Courts on Tuesday to conclude their investigations.
Njagi urged members of the public to come forward with information that might aid in the prosecution of these offenders and the preservation of a law-abiding community.
These suspects will be prosecuted to the fullest extent possible. Since this sort of crime would make the residents poor, we should not promote it, he stated.
A firm warning has been sent to such criminal organisations that we would deal with them severely. For the sake of our people’s safety, we’ll make sure they end up in prison,” Njagi stated.
