Police officer, 3 others drugged and robbed
Police have launched an operation against a gang that has been drugging and robbing people in bars and restaurant. In less than a week, four people, including a police officer have been drugged and their valuables taken. PHOTO | COURTESY
What you need to know:
According to the police, the gang works in groups of three or four.
It waits in the parking lot of an entertainment joint and once it identifies a target, two women approach the reveller when he orders a drink or food.
Four women and three men linked to the drugging of Mr Rutere have been arrested since Friday.
Four men, including the Murang’a Directorate of Criminal Investigations chief, have been drugged in bars and robbed in less than a week, police say.
The drug used by the gang is capable of knocking out a victim for several days.
Following the hospitalisation of the DCI boss Julius Rutere on Friday, police launched an operation against the gang.
Mr Rutere was found unconscious in a hotel and taken to Karatina Sub-County Hospital.
He was later transferred to Nairobi Hospital.
HAVING SUPPER
Regional Police Coordinator Gideon Amala said the officer was responding well to treatment.
According to the police, Mr Rutere was having supper when two women approached him.
Detectives suspect it was a that point that his drink was laced with the drug.
The officer lost his phone, money and clothes.
He did not have his service firearm at the time of the robbery.
VICTIMS
Police say another victim was taken to Outspan Hospital after being drugged at an entertainment joint.
He lost money and his phone. A third was found dumped in Kamakwa, a few kilometres from Nyeri town.
Investigations show that police officers are the favourite target of the gang.
Last year, a DCI officer lost his pistol with 15 bullets after being drugged in a bar.
The pistol and five rounds were later found with robbery suspects.
WORK IN GROUPS
According to the police, the gang works in groups of three or four.
It waits in the parking lot of an entertainment joint and once it identifies a target, two women approach the reveller when he orders a drink or food.
The men then go for the reveller once he is drugged.
The gang takes the victim’s car keys and drives away with him.
The comatose victims are dumped on the road.
Revellers without cars are usually lured or dragged to a lodging and robbed, police said.
ARRESTED
Four women and three men linked to the drugging of Mr Rutere have been arrested since Friday.
“Police tracked the mobile phone to the women, who upon being questioned, led investigators to the other suspects,” said Mr Amala.
On Saturday night, police in Sagana, arrested a man and two women in a botched robbery.
According to Mwea OCPD Samuel Seurey, the three had drugged a driver and stolen his lorry.
“The man was lucky as he had not taken too much of the drug and was able to alert us. We also found some of the drugs the suspects used,” said Mr Seurey.
The seven are being interrogated by DCI officers in Kirinyaga and Nyeri counties and will appear in separate courts today.
