Police in Eldoret have impounded over 50 motorcycles believed to have been stolen from their owners.
Uasin Gishu County Police Commander Benjamin Mwanthi says that six suspects linked to a motorcycle theft ring operating across the North Rift and Western regions of Kenya have also been arrested.
Mwanthi told TV47 that among those arrested is a motorcycle dealer whose premises were raided and found stocked with suspected stolen motorcycles. Another suspect arrested, the police boss revealed, was a former employee of a motorbike loan company.
“We have been investigating this syndicate and we made a breakthrough over the weekend during which we arrested key suspects,” Mwanthi said. “We urge those who may have been victims of the syndicate to visit the Eldoret Central Police Station to help identify some of the recovered motorcycles and engines.”
What police uncovered
Preliminary investigations have revealed a trend that the criminals use to hide the stolen motorcycles in plain sight. It was discovered that the suspects had been altering engine numbers and swapping spare parts.
According to Mwanthi, they dismantled the bikes and reassembled them using these modified parts.
One of the riders told journalists that most of the motorbikes were stolen at night while parked while some were violently robbed while at work.
They aim to further dismantle the operation and bring all involved parties to justice.
