Police in Eldoret have arrested four suspects in connection with a motorcycle theft syndicate in the North Rift and Western region.
Uasin Gishu county police commander Benjamin Mwanthi said they had also recovered 59 motorcycles and 35 engines during a major intelligence-led operation in the region.
Among those arrested is a motorcycle dealer whose premises were raided and found full of motorcycles suspected to have been stolen.
“We have been investigating this syndicate and we made a breakthrough over the weekend during which we arrested key suspects,” Mwanthi said.
He said many motorcycle theft cases had been reported in the region leading to the probe.
“We urge those who may have been victims of the syndicate to visit the Eldoret central police station to help identify some of the recovered motorcycles and engines,” Mwanthi said.
Mwanthi who was with the county DCI boss Daniel Muleli said the suspects tampered with the motorcycle engines and interchanged spare parts to conceal identification of the stolen motorcycles.
“We established that they erace engine numbers and print fake ones after which they dismantle the motorbikes and use the parts to assemble afresh,” he said.
At the police station, some of the riders were able to identify their stolen motorbikes or their spare parts.
“Most of our motorbikes were stolen at night while parked or there are those who are robbed while at work,” one of the riders said.
Mwanthi said they were following up to arrest more suspects.
Also present was the new Eldoret Central OCS Naftali Muthui
Police also recovered assorted spare parts recovered from the suspects during the operation.
Mwanthi said the number of recovered motorbikes was higher than the reported cases in Eldoret.
“That means the syndicate is wide and affects neighbouring counties up to the western region,” Mwanthi said.
Muleli praised members of the public in the region for providing information which helped to crack the syndicate.
