Police in Naivasha are looking for members of a gang of three who pose as Safaricom staff but end up stealing from M-Pesa agents at gun point.
According to Naivasha CID boss Martin Mbaya, the three are responsible for a majority of M-Pesa, wholesale shops, warehouses and supermarket thefts in the area.
He said they have deployed detectives in the town to help arrest the suspects further asking residents to help in giving leads that will facilitate their arrests.
“It is unfortunate that the wave of crime in the town is on the rise but we promise to address the issue. All we are calling for is cooperation from the public, we will handle the rest,” he said in Naivasha town on Monday.
He was speaking after visiting a crime scene in the area where two young men posing as taxi crew attempted to rob an M-Pesa agent who was coming from Equity Bank but their efforts were thwarted after she raised the alarm. The two escaped on an awaiting motorbike.
“They will run but they won’t hide forever, we are in communication with our counterparts from different departments and soon, they will be in our custody,” he reassured.
Traders in Naivasha’s main market and town centre have decried uncountable losses in the hands of the gang, and accused the police of sleeping on their job.
“I was attacked when I was planning to take my day’s sales to the bank. They made me believe that they are from Safaricom head office to check on how different agents were faring on in the county, before I realised, a gun was drawn and they managed to make way with more than Sh45,000,” lamented Anne Kioma.
Mbaya further revealed that they were in the process of erecting more police check points in the area to help fight crime.