Three men were Wednesday evening arrested and Sh1.5 million they had allegedly stolen recovered from them outside a bank in the Nairobi West area.
Police and a victim said the men had trailed a private car from Industrial, about five kilometres away to the scene where they stole the cash.
They had broken into a Ford Ranger car and grabbed the cash in three envelopes, witnesses and police said.
Pedestrians spotted their activities and raised an alarm alerting the police who were manning a bank.
The officers ordered the three to lie down at gunpoint.
They then dramatically searched them for weapons and any other dangerous items before handcuffing them.
It emerged the three trailed a motorist who had withdrawn the cash from another bank in the Industrial Area up to Nairobi West.
They then parked their Mercedes Benz car next to the Ford Ranger as the motorist left for errands oblivious of the danger lurking.
Armed with crude weapons, they broke into the car and grabbed the cash when the suspecting public spotted them and raised an alarm, police said.
Police said they recovered another set of number plates from the salon car the men were using.
This is believed to be used to mislead police trials once a crime is committed.
The police also recovered a stolen mini bolt cutter from the suspects.
Police had to save the three from a mob that wanted to lynch them.
Their car was towed to the police station pending a probe.
Police say they are investigating to establish if the men are part of a gang targeting motorists who withdraw cash from banks.
Such cases have been on the rise amid revelations some of the attackers hang in banks to monitor those who withdraw such cash for attacks.
Others are believed to be working with bank staff to strike.
Most of the cases are pending under probe, police say.
