A 20-year-old Juja domestic worker who was caught alongside two males in a high-profile bust outside the Kasarani police station in Nairobi is currently on trial for attempted robbery.

After taxi driver Peter Gathesa drove into the station in difficulty, Joy Mumbi was taken into custody by police at the station entrance. Alongside her were her co-accused, 22-year-old Kelvin Murithi, and 25-year-old Julius Mbithi Njeru.

They are both accused of trying to rob someone violently, which is a criminal offense that carries a death sentence.

The three are charged with attempting to rob Gathesa on November 19 near the Thika Superhighway in Nairobi of his vehicle, a Toyota Ractis valued at Sh1 million.

They are charged with abusing the plaintiff violently during the  incident, reportedly strangling him while he was driving.

Julius Njeru, Kelvin Murithi and Joy Mumbi in the dock at the Makadara Law Courts. PHOTO|JOSEPH NDUNDA

After Murithi posted a trip request online using a digital taxi hailing app and stated he would be dropped off at Statehouse Road in Nairobi, Gathesa had picked up the three accused in Juja, Kiambu County.

Along the Thika Superhighway, Mumbi sat in the passenger seat and Murithi and Njeru followed the driver.

Murithi allegedly told Gathesa to stop and get out of the car while pointing out what seemed to be a toy gun along the route.

Contrary to the directive, Gathesa sprinted to the Kasarani Police Station, where he was saved by officers who then took the three suspects into custody.

The other two were apprehended as they attempted to flee, while Mumbi was detained inside the vehicle.

Despite Ms. Mumbi’s admission to police that she is employed as a domestic helper at a home on Kenyatta Road in Juja, the three suspects’ relationship could not be established.

Murithi resides in an estate off of Jogoo Road in Nairobi with his parents.

They all refuted the allegations, in front of Makadara Law Courts Senior Principal Magistrate Gerald Mutiso.

Without the option of posting cash bail, they were freed on a Sh500,000 bond with a matching surety.

The matter will be heard on February 12.

In Kiambu, police have found 2,400 pieces of fake Kenya Revenue Authority stamps and 3,800 bottles of fake beverages.

According to the DCI, during the operation, a house yielded 3,440 pieces of empty bottles, sacks containing various bottle caps, and 260 liters of ethanol.

According to the DCI, the estimated value of the illicit recoveries is Sh7,836,500, less the loss of exercise duty of Sh2,774,551.49 and the loss of VAT of Sh1,253,840.

An operation led by a multi-agency team made up of officers from KRA and DCI Headquarters’ Economic and Commercial Crimes Unit resulted in the recovery.

The retrieved goods, according to the police, were escorted to a KRA warehouse.

A manhunt has been initiated by detectives to find the suspect, who is still at large.This occurs just a few days after cops raided a business on Nairobi’s Kirinyaga Road and found 4,920 pieces of 250ml counterfeit alcohol bottles.

Following the ongoing crackdown on high-level tax evasion by booze merchants, KRA provided

assistance to them in the operation.

The recovered goods, believed to be worth Sh984,000, are mixed brands of illicit booze. The suspect was given a seizure notice after the recovery was brought to a KRA warehouse.

“As the crackdown christened Operation Uchumi heightens, further investigations are ongoing to establish the source of the counterfeit drinks.”

In a Sh94.9 million deal, four additional individuals are detained. The Wells Fargo hack

Four Wells Fargo employees have been placed under arrest by detectives in relation to the theft of Sh94 million that occurred a few weeks ago from a Quickmart store.

The suspects were taken into custody following a careful examination of forensic evidence, according to a statement released by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) on November 25, 2023.

“Detectives on the trail of suspects in the theft of over Sh94.9 million from Wells Fargo staff on November 6, 2023,  have arrested four more suspected accomplices, all employees of the courier and security company,” the statement said.

The four are Joel Oyuchi Mweseli, Harrison Mugendi Njeru, Caleb Ouma Okinyi, and Ronald Ouma Oluu.

The four suspects, according to the police, will be held for the remainder of the weekend.

The four suspects, according to the police, are thought to have plotted alongside the two primary suspects, Anthony Nduiki and Daniel Mugetha, who are still at large.

“Today’s arrest brings to eight the total number of suspects arrested so far in the daring robbery, following the arrest of four others a few days ago and the recovery of over Sh9 million in a jerrycan at a house in Roysambu,” police said.

Police said investigations were ongoing to track down the remaining suspects.