The stolen car that was recovered by police./SCREENGRABPolice in Makueni have arrested a 38-year-old man believed to be the mastermind behind a violent highway ambush that left a motorist injured and his car stolen.
The suspect was apprehended in Ukia, Makueni Sub-County, after a coordinated forensic and tactical operation led by officers from Makindu.
Authorities also recovered the stolen silver Subaru Trezia, which had been taken during the attack.
According to police, the incident unfolded when the victim, en route from Mombasa to Malaba, offered a lift to two hitchhikers in Mariakani.
As they neared Kiunduani Market, one of the passengers requested to alight.
When the driver slowed down, two men emerged from a nearby thicket, struck him with a blunt object, and fled with his vehicle and personal belongings.
The driver was later treated at Makindu Sub-County Hospital and discharged in stable condition.
While the primary suspect is now in custody, his accomplices managed to escape. However, police say the suspects left behind vital clues.
During the recovery operation, officers seized a motorcycle believed to have been used as a getaway vehicle, two sets of number plates reported stolen, and a pair of screwdrivers.
Investigations are ongoing as detectives pursue the remaining suspects. The arrested man is expected to be arraigned in court soon.
Meanwhile, in a separate crackdown on motor vehicle theft syndicates, law enforcement officers from the National Police Service (NPS) and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) raided several illegal car dismantling yards along Kangundo Road in Nairobi on April 8, 2025.
Three individuals were arrested, and authorities recovered an assortment of number plates, motor vehicle parts, and metal-cutting tools.
They also intercepted four vehicles—three with tampered chassis numbers and one with suspected fake number plates. All vehicles were towed to DCI headquarters for forensic verification.
Police say the operations are part of a larger effort to dismantle vehicle theft rings operating across the country.
