Touts at work. [Photo/Daily Nation]
Police in Thika town on Thursday arrested 16 people at the Makongeni bus park suspected to be involved in bag snatching and criminal activities.
Area OCPD, Willy Simba said police acted on a tip-off and pounced on the unsuspecting youths who normally pose as touts at the town’s busy bus park.
The arrested, he said, were suspected to be members of a gang that terrorise members of the public in Makongeni estate.
The Thika Sub-County has in the last one month hit the headlines following a spate of a crime involving Boda Boda operators who have been violently robbing members of the public of their personal effects in broad daylight.Simba said the crackdown will be extended to all the hot spots within the town which, includes Thika Main Bus Park, Section 9 and Ngoingwa estates.
The OCPD lauded members of the public for relaying the information that led to the arrests.
Simba promised that information released to the police will be held in confidence.He called on members of the public who have fallen victim to the muggers to report at the local police station to facilitate the prosecution of the criminals.
“When we arrest suspected muggers, we are sometimes unable to prefer charges on them for lack of complainants and we end up charging them with lesser charges which include touting and petty crimes,” he lamented.
The 16 were later arraigned before the Chief Magistrate, Teresa Murigi where they pleaded guilty to charges of touting and were set free after paying a fine of Sh4000 each.