Thika sub-county police officers took an hour to engage an angry mob that had attacked four fake KRA officials in Ngoingwa area on Monday.
The ‘officers’ are said to have held hostage a man and his wife over their hardware in the area, demanding for a large amount money.
The conmen threatened to take the two to court if they failed adhere with the demand and forced them to consult their bank for an immediate loan due to fear of business closure, the couple said.
The wife, Elizabeth Wanjiru, said they were locked in their toilet for 20 minutes to avoid the residents’ ‘attention.
She said that her husband decided to call a friend who works at the KRA headquarters but before he started the conversation the conmen took away their mobile phones, thus making them doubt whether they were real workers of the organisation.
The fake KRA men, identified as Stanley Ndegwa, George Wanjugu, Geoffrey Njoroge and their driver Elijah Cherono, were noticed by the residents when they forced the two into their own vehicle and the wife screamed for help before the vehicle was started.
The residents attacked the fake tax collectors, beating them up with all kinds of crude weapons.
The driver managed to escape wounded and left the three colleagues in the hands of the irate mob.
Area police officers on patrol rescued the three conmen but they were forced to call for more reinforcement as the angry crowd tried to lunch the suspects.
The three are nursing injuries at Thika Level Five hospital as the police probe on the whereabouts of the Cherono.