Tourist injured, robbed as he leaves airport

A German tourist is nursing injuries after being held hostage, brutalised and robbed by a gang in Mombasa, reports indicate.

The attackers are said to have trailed the German from Moi International Airport after landing early on Wednesday.

According to reports, the attackers deliberately rammed the taxi ferrying the foreigner from behind, forcing his driver to stop in the middle of the road.

Police in Mombasa have however described Erold Jean Hasert’s attackers, who included a woman, as “ordinary thugs”. The attack has, however, sent shivers within tourism circles and Mombasa,  which is experiencing a record recession in the hotel industry.

The motive of the 5am attack is not known but police reported that the German was robbed of 5,600 Euros, a laptop and mobile phones after being held captive for hours and later dumped at Mwakirunge, bleeding in the back of his head after being hit with a sharp object.

Police have denied claims rogue officers were involved in the attack.

Ten years ago, a police officer from the same airport teamed up with a former military officer to rob and kill tourists in Kilifi after they had just left the airport. The two and their accomplices were arrested and sentenced to hang. Kisauni police boss Joseph Ngatia, who is in charge of Shanzu and Mwakirunge, said his officers rescued Hasert only a few hours after the matter was reported to him.

“We took quick action and rescued Hasert at Mwakirunge where he had been dumped by the gang who robbed him of the equivalent of Sh600,000, a laptop and a mobile phone,” said Ngatia.

confirmed reports

The Standard has established that the German was trailed right from the moment he entered a taxi at the airport and snaked through Mombasa streets towards Shanzu where he was booked in an apartment.

Sources said the driver unsuccessfully tried to shake off the trailing group. As he approached Shanzu he was rammed from behind forcing him to stop.

Ngatia confirmed reports that “these people trailed the taxi driver from the airport before attacking them”.