Detectives drawn from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) on Monday arrested an elusive cross-border car thief who has been terrorising and stealing vehicles from members of the public for a very long time while simultaneously escaping police arrest.
Sharp-eyed police officers from Loitoktok Police Station spotted the suspect driving a stolen Toyota Dyna Mini Truck and when they tried to confront him, he took off running, leaving the vehicle behind.
The suspect was escorted to Loitoktok police station, where further interrogation unveiled a deeply unsettling truth: that he is a key player in an organised car theft syndicate that has been systematically robbing unsuspecting members of the public.
The stolen vehicles are then smuggled across the border into a neighbouring country and sold at throw-away prices.
Following the arrest, the DCI has revealed that the owner of the car was a 32-year-old man who had been left unconscious during the robbery and is suspected to have been drugged by the thieves who left him at the Kalii Guest House.
The chase by the police officers ended with the suspect in handcuffs at the police station where he is awaiting processing and later he will be arraigned in court.
This is not the first time such incidents of organised syndicates drugging victims and robbing them have been reported at the same police station.
In July 2023, a woman was among three suspects accused of being part of a motorist theft syndicate that overpowered their suspects by drugging them with strong substances and then robbing them of their motorcycles.
In this case, the woman would pose as a passenger, then drug the motorist with strong substances, leading to another location where her co-conspirators would show up and carry out the robbery.
The DCI urged members of the public to stay on high alert, as criminals not only use violence but are increasingly employing new tactics, including stupefying, to carry out their nefarious deeds.
