Suspects behind railway cargo theft arrested

 

Two suspects believed to be behind the rampant theft of items from cargo trains on the Nakuru-Eldoret route have been arrested.

Railways police boss Edwin Ogware said the two were arrested in Uasin Gishu County on Sunday night after police laid an ambush.

One of the suspects is known by his alias and is suspected to be the mastermind of all the thefts.

Mr Ogware said they managed to intercept a lorry loaded with 115 bags of rice and a motorcycle ferrying 25 bags.

According to the police boss, the two suspects, together with others, steal the goods from moving trains.

Major suspect

He said the lorry driver was a major suspect and had been on the police radar since December 2017.

The suspects are said to have mastered the movement of the train and position themselves in strategic places with steep slopes, from where they manage to get on top of the containers. Armed with oxy-fuel cylinders, they manage to cut open the containers.

They are said to steal from the trains despite the presence of one armed police officer escorting it.

Police believe the two will help to unmask the other faces behind the gang.