Police in Nairobi have arrested a suspect linked to a stupefying and theft syndicate targeting unsuspecting revellers within the city and its environs.
The arrest follows an intelligence-led operation triggered by a report filed at Embakasi Police Station.
According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, the complainant had been socialising at a joint in the capital when he was approached and hugged by an unidentified woman shortly after playing pool.
“Moments later, he began feeling dizzy and chose to leave for home in her company, before eventually losing consciousness,” the DCI said.
When he regained consciousness, the victim found several valuables missing from his house, including two laptops (HP and Lenovo), a Samsung S22 mobile phone, Sh168,000 in cash, and jewellery worth Sh50,000.
Detectives traced the suspect to Kihunguro area in Ruiru, where Jane Wangare Ndung'u was arrested at Havilla Apartments.
A search at the premises recovered numerous suspected stolen items, including 40 mobile phones, 14 laptops, and an iPad with a keyboard—some of which were positively identified as belonging to the complainant.
Preliminary investigations indicate the suspect is part of an organised criminal network that uses a stupefying substance commonly known as “mchele” to incapacitate victims. The syndicate then steals valuables and extracts sensitive financial information, feeding the black market for stolen electronics.
The suspect has since been detained at Embakasi Police Station as investigations continue to dismantle the wider network.
The DCI has urged members of the public to remain vigilant in social places and report any suspicious incidents to the nearest police station or through official reporting channels.