Three police officers suspected of participating in the kidnapping of a foreign national in Mlolongo, Machakos County, on January 8, 2024, were arraigned at Mavoko Law Courts on Wednesday.
The officers, Constables Fredrick Mwongela Mwololo, Samuel Mwiti, and Kimwele Musyoki, all from the General Service Unit, were apprehended in Nairobi a week after the incident.
During the court proceedings, the prosecution sought custodial orders to facilitate the completion of investigations as the manhunt for the alleged kidnapping mastermind gained momentum.
The incident has revealed an international criminal ring that selectively targets individuals after conducting background checks on their financial status.
The victim, a Chinese national, was ambushed on his way to work, with two cars blocking his vehicle. The suspects then restrained him, drove towards the direction of Machakos, and violently robbed him.
Upon the victim’s failure to arrive at his workplace, concerned friends reported the matter to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
Detectives were able to trace the victim to Mua Hills in Machakos. However, before a search team could be deployed to the area, the victim reappeared in Athi River, detailing his harrowing experience at the hands of the kidnappers.
Investigations revealed that the kidnapping involved five individuals, including the mastermind, a Chinese national, a taxi driver, and the three police officers who were arrested. In Mua Hills, the mastermind contacted the victim’s family in China, demanding an undisclosed ransom, which was wired to a bank account in China.
DCI’s Crime Research and Intelligence detectives initiated a thorough probe, starting from Mombasa Road, identifying two vehicles of interest. The taxi involved was traced to Rongai, leading to the arrest of its owner. The owner revealed that on the day of the incident, a friend had borrowed his car while he took his children to school.
Further investigations unveiled that the suspect who borrowed the car was a former employee of the victim’s company and had been in regular communication with the arrested police officers. Forensic analysis placed all four individuals at the crime scene. The vehicle used in the kidnapping has been recovered and is currently held at Mlolongo Police Station.
While the search for the mastermind continues, Interpol operations have been initiated to pursue the gang’s accomplices in China.
