Charcoal Vendor Lured, Robbed of Sh200,000 in Nyeri

Detectives have arrested a man accused of violently robbing a charcoal vendor of Sh200,000 in Mukurweini Sub-County, Nyeri.

The 49-year-old suspect, identified as James Kanyi Gachara, was arrested by officers from the Operations Action Team (OAT) and the Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau (CRIB) following a complaint lodged by the victim.

According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the vendor was lured into a deal by the suspect, who posed as a customer seeking 20 sacks of charcoal. Although the trader did not have enough stock, he quickly mobilised suppliers to meet the demand.

However, after sourcing the charcoal, the victim was ambushed by men driving a numberless Toyota Prado SUV. The suspect and his accomplices forced him into the vehicle, where he was assaulted and threatened at gunpoint to surrender his Equitel account PIN. The gang then withdrew Sh200,000 from his account.

The vendor was later pushed out of the SUV and held at gunpoint by a female accomplice before the group sped off. Moments later, a red motorcycle picked up the armed woman, leaving the victim lying helpless on the roadside.

“Thanks to forensic intelligence, detectives trailed down and arrested the suspect, who is currently in custody, undergoing processing pending arraignment,” DCI said in a statement.

The agency added that investigations are ongoing to track down the remaining suspects who are still at large.