• A new police unit has already been formed to tail, trace and track bank employees believed to be the ones who tip criminals of customers withdrawals.
• Officers believe that bank employees must be working closely with the gang.
Image: FILE
Police in Embu are trying to unravel a mysterious gang that has been robbing customers who withdraw huge amounts of money from a bank in Embu town.
Police officers said that they are investigating cases where only those withdrawing money from the said bank were being trailed and robbed in broad daylight.
They said that the criminals follow those who withdraw money from the bank, leave the cash in their vehicles, and start running other errands in town.
A new police unit has already been formed to tail, trace and track bank employees believed to be the ones who tip criminals of customers withdrawals.
Officers believe that bank employees must be working closely with the gang.
"It has been established that some employees have stayed in that bank for more than 10 years, they, therefore, know almost all customers," an officer said.
Officers are piecing together evidence linking bank employees with a gang made up of taxi operators, bar and restaurant employees and CCTV technicians.
"It cannot be a coincidence that those who fall victim of the crime report to have withdrawn money from the same bank," said a senior police officer who sought anonymity.
Other sources hinted that they are closely following taxi drivers who operate adjacent to the bank.
Others on the police radar are bar and hotel attendants of the said club.
"They must be knowing those criminals who sit at the balcony of the club to have a birds view of customers walking out of the bank with envelopes," another officer said.
Another source who is privy to the investigations revealed that senior police officers last week ordered the management of the said club to stop hiding criminals.
"The following day two suspects were caught trying to break into a car at the parking, they were cornered by the employees of the bar who alerted members of the public. The suspects, a man and a woman were saved by our officers from the mob," she said.
A source at Embu police station revealed that bar and hotel managers are also being treated as suspects.
"They disable CCTV cameras set at parking lots and this is where most car burglaries have taken place," she said.
Others on the police radar are distributors and installers of CCTV cameras based in the town.
It is said that in all hotel parking where such cases have been reported, CCTV cameras were not working.
Embu West DCIO Michael Kimilu said that the rampant cases have attracted the attention of both the arresting and the investigative arms of the police in Embu.
The investigations boss called on residents to avoid withdrawing huge amounts of money that they do not need to spend immediately.
"As we try to fight such crimes, residents should also be more careful on how they keep their money after withdrawing from the bank, some leave the money on car seats making it easy for car burglars to trace and steal," Kimilu said.