Car used in robbing Kimilili woman Sh800,000 recovered

Police have recovered a Toyota Fielder believed to have been used in a robbery where a woman lost Sh800,000 in Kimilili, Bungoma County.

The car was traced and found abandoned in the Luanda area of Vihiga County during a police operation. The suspect escaped on foot, and the money was not recovered.

Investigations have revealed that the same car had been used in at least five other robberies. The incidents were reported between February and June in Luanda and Yala areas.

In all cases, the robbers used fake number plates and targeted victims after they left banks. Police say the suspects had mastered the method of trailing their victims before pouncing.

On Tuesday, detectives spotted the car in Emuhaya and approached it. The driver abandoned the vehicle and ran away as police fired warning shots.

A fake number plate, which had been mentioned in earlier robbery cases and captured on CCTV, was found inside the vehicle. Officers are now looking for the car’s owner as investigations continue.

The robbery in Kimilili happened on Monday, June 30. The victim, a woman who runs several Mpesa shops in Naitiri, had withdrawn Sh800,000 from a local bank. She hired a motorcycle to take her back to her business premises.

 As she rode along the Maliki-Kitale Road, a car overtook them and blocked their way. Two armed men jumped out and demanded the money.

A short struggle broke out, and the woman was injured before the attackers grabbed the cash and fled.

The case is one of several recent incidents where people have been robbed shortly after leaving banks. On Saturday, June 28, a man in Nairobi lost nearly Sh1 million after withdrawing cash from a bank in Parklands.

As he drove away, a car blocked him, and men dressed in police uniforms beat him up and stole the money before escaping toward Limuru Road.

Police believe some bank employees may be working with the gangs. Victims are often followed from the banking halls, suggesting information might be leaking from within.

Earlier cases this year include the theft of Sh7 million from a man in Nairobi’s CBD, Sh3.6 million from a woman on Lungalunga Road, and Sh1.8 million from a businessman in Kitengela.

Detectives say they are following leads and continue to investigate the growing trend. They have urged the public to be alert after withdrawing large sums and advised banks to monitor internal staff closely to prevent such attacks.