- Police fear such weapons are used to commit crimes.
- Police also want carwash owners to vet their staff as part of efforts to address such incidents.
Image: The Star
Police are investigating claims that carwash attendants stole a pistol from a car that had been left with them around the Hurligham area.
A motorist who is a civilian licenced firearm holder told police he had left the gun in the car but he found it missing.
He said the Ceska pistol with 15 bullets was in the car when he left it for washing on Tuesday, April 2, afternoon.
The gun holder said he went for lunch and left the car in the yard and on checking he could not locate the weapon.
Police visited the yard and interrogated staff as part of the probe in vain.
A search for the weapon is ongoing, police said. Police fear such weapons could be used to commit crimes.
Police also want carwash owners to vet their staff as part of efforts to address such incidents.
This follows increased cases where motorists complain they have lost cash and valuables at such yards.
Some of the cases remain unsolved and under probe.
Elsewhere, a suspect was arrested and a pistol that had been robbed from a senior police officer was recovered from him in Kiandutu slums, Thika, Kiambu county.
The inspector of police attached to the Critical Infrastructure in Thika West had on Friday, March 29 said he was attacked and robbed of the pistol loaded with 10 rounds and his mobile phone.
He said he was attacked by suspects who were on a motorcycle and robbed him of the valuables.
This prompted an operation in the area that led to the arrest of one suspected aged 23 at Kiandutu slums.
He later led the team to a piece of land where he had buried the weapon in a shallow hole.
Police said they recovered eight bullets together with the Ceska pistol indicating two live ammunitions had been spent or sold out.
The security officers said the suspect was wanted for several robberies in the area. He was detained ahead of planned arraignment.
Another operation was planned in the area in search of more suspected accomplices. The area has been facing rising cases of armed robberies amid police operations to address the trend.