Detectives have arrested a third suspect over a KSh 1 million daylight robbery on the Shamakhokho-Serem road. The suspect, 36-year-old Sammy Angwegwe, was picked up in the Esirulo area of Emuhaya, The Star and The Eastleigh Voice reported on Monday. The Star places the robbery in Vihiga County, while The Eastleigh Voice says it happened in Nandi County.
According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the arrest followed an intelligence-led operation. It involved detectives from the Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau (CRIB) Western Region, officers from Embali Police Station and DCI detectives from Hamisi.
The robbery took place on October 19. A woman and her friend had just withdrawn KSh 1 million from a bank in Mbale. The Eastleigh Voice put the time at around 2:50 pm. The cash was meant for building materials and was packed in a shopping bag. The two women took a matatu to Shamakhokho stage. There they hired a motorcycle to Chemobo Village in Aldai Constituency, Nandi County.
Near Erusui Girls Secondary School, a white Toyota Probox blocked their way. Four men got out, two of them reportedly armed with pistols. The gang grabbed the bag of cash and another bag of personal belongings, then escaped towards Serem Town. The Eastleigh Voice reported that the stolen items included the woman's national ID card, a Co-operative Bank ATM card and an Itel mobile phone.
Two other suspects, aged 54 and 34, were arrested earlier in an overnight operation in Mudete, Sabatia Sub-County, on October 29. A search at one suspect's home turned up 10 assorted mobile phones, a handcuff, Safaricom and Airtel SIM cards, a penknife, a screwdriver and several cut-out vehicle number plates, The Eastleigh Voice reported. Investigators are checking for possible links to other similar robberies in the region.
All three suspects remain in custody. The DCI said detectives want to "unravel the full extent of the criminal enterprise" and arrest everyone linked to the attack. Police have asked the public to share any information that could help the investigation.