Suspect in Sh3.9m Eastleigh heist arrested buying a car in in Mombasa

One of the suspects behind the shooting of a man and robbery of more than Sh3.9 million in Eastleigh, Nairobi, was arrested in Mombasa.

The suspect was trailed to the coastal city and caught as he waited to buy a car for his personal use, police said.

A team of detectives pursuing the matter said they were looking for more suspects in the attack that left a 26-year-old man with serious gunshot wounds on March 30.

He was robbed of $30,000 (Sh3,969,726), police and the victim said.

The suspect arrested on Wednesday evening has been placed at the scene of the robbery, detectives aware of the probe said.

He was brought to Nairobi as the hunt for his accomplices went on.

It is not clear if the detectives managed to recover any of the stolen cash.

“We have a suspect and he is being brought to Nairobi. The man had gone to buy a car in Mombasa using some of the cash robbed from the victim in hospital,” said an official aware of the probe.

The gang was riding on a motorbike when they struck, hitting Adan Ali Mohamed who was also on a motorcycle headed in the same direction on Eastleigh’s Muratina street.

Police said the incident happened Saturday, March 30, at 11 am at a crowded place.

The incident was captured on security cameras.

The rider carrying the gunman had sped and overtook the one with Adan and stopped before he jumped off and approached the victim.

He was seen demanding a bag carrying the cash and when Adan hesitated, he was shot at close range in the neck.

Doctors said the bullet injured the spinal cord and exited at the back.

He fell off the motorcycle as his rider remained confused.

The gunman grabbed the cash, jumped onto his waiting motorcycle and drove away.

Adan said had intended to deposit the money at one of the banks at BBS Mall.

However, upon arrival, he discovered that the bank was closed and decided to return home, opting to ride a boda boda for convenience.

He did not know he was being pursued by the thugs who had prior information on the cash.

The cash was from two days’ sales of oil products his boss handles in the area.

As the rider reached the Bulsho car wash on Muratina Street, another boda boda rider intercepted him.

The perpetrator immediately grabbed the cash, wrapped it in green paper, and fled the scene.

Witnesses rushed Adan to the nearby Health Gate Hospital where he was admitted.

Police from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations visited the scene on Sunday as part of the probe into the incident.

Starehe police boss Fred Abuga said they are determined to get the gang behind the incident.

He urged building owners in the area to install security cameras as part of efforts to address such incidents.

“We need more surveillance cameras on all the structures in the area to enhance investigations. The area is growing fast and requires technology to aid in many ways,” he said.

Police are also investigating to establish if the incident was an inside job.

Security bosses contend Eastleigh is growing at a high and hence needs a new system to address the needs.