- Police ambushed them before an intended robbery in Muthaiga.
- Cops puzzled by the presence of the slain woman in the car.
Image: THE STAR
Two suspected robbers, including a woman, were on Monday night fatally shot by police before a break-in in Muthaiga, Nairobi, police said.
A third suspect was wounded but escaped on foot.
They were in a car on a robbery mission but were ambushed by police along Old Kiambu Road at about midnight, officers said.
Their car contained valuables believed to have been stolen, including electronics and 150 master keys.
Police say the group had altered the number plates of their car to avoid detection. For instance, the last digit was supposed to be ' J' but they used tape to make it appear as a 'U', police said.
A Falcon Sport pistol with seven bullets was found on the suspects. Police described it as unique, linked to an earlier robbery at the Muthaiga home of businessman Manu Chandaria on December 13, 2020.
Police said a bullet head recovered from the Chandaria scene following a shooting resembles the bullets recovered on Monday night from the two dead suspects.
“We believe they were part of a gang that has been terrorising residents in the larger Muthaiga area. Investigations are ongoing,” Starehe police boss Julius Kiragu said.
On Monday, police said they were puzzled by the presence of the woman in the car headed for a robbery mission. They did not identify her or the other dead suspect.
This increased to five the number of suspects killed since Saturday in Nairobi in a fresh crime crackdown.
On Monday morning, a wanted suspect was gunned down by police as he led thugs attacking residents in Dandora.
The gun-toting thug, identified only as Fidel, was the ringleader of a gang of five. He died in a hail of bullets during a police ambush, officers said.
Preliminary investigations and intelligence analysis had linked Fidel and his gang to the attacks that have rocked Eastlands recently, targeting civilians.
A firearm and two rounds of 9mm ammunition were recovered from Fidel; two other men escaped.
Another suspect had been killed in Githurai area and a pistol found on him.
Two other suspects were killed at the weekend in the new crackdown.
The suspects were shot dead by police in Mathare slums and stolen items were found on them.
The two were killed at Kiboro Bridge as they mugged pedestrians at the weekend.
They were coming from a robbery mission and had stopped at the site to rob pedestrians when an alarm was raised, alerting police on patrol.
Police said they also arrested three suspects who had travelled from Thika to rob residents in Mathare’s Blue Gum area.
An imitation firearm capable of firing was recovered from the suspects.
Also recovered were three mobile phones and Sh13,900 believed to have been snatched from their victims.
A getaway red motorbike was impounded.
The suspects were saved from a lynch mob by police.
(Edited by V. Graham)