18 arrested in Eastleigh, Pumwani swoop
A building under construction in Eastleigh estate, Nairobi. Police have arrested 18 crime suspects in a raid in Eastleigh and Pumwani estates on April 17, 2019. PHOTO | EVANS HABIL | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
The suspects are expected to be arraigned on Thursday.
A swoop by police officers on Wednesday night led to the arrest of 18 crime suspects in Eastleigh and Pumwani estates in Nairobi.
The raid was conducted in several bus termini in the two estates by a joint force drawn from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Administration Police and regular police.
DCI detectives said the suspects were arrested over alleged involvement in organised crime and illegal touting.
“The suspects have been illegally manning stages and engaging in other organised crimes,” said DCI said in a statement.
The suspects are expected to be arraigned on Thursday.
The move by the National Police Service could signal a new chapter in efforts to crack down on the menace of gangs that terrorise city residents in estates and at bus stops.
While slightly dated, a 2012 report by the National Crime Research Centre showed many Kenyans — 55 percent of respondents — were aware of the existence of an organised criminal gang where they live or elsewhere.
