Police have arrested a Nairobi based Scrap Metal Dealer. Dozens of motor vehicles parts that had been dismantled into pieces from vehicles whose owners could not be immediately established.
A Statement from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said:” One man identified as Moses Ndegwa, was arrested following the raid at a scrap metal yard close to Kariobangi Light Industries and a lorry full of the vehicles-turned pieces recovered.”
The DCI said that three vehicles a Toyota DX 102, Toyota 110, and a Pajero had been driven into the scrap metal yard before they were hurriedly dismantled by a standby pool of mechanics.
The suspect was taken to Buru Buru police station where the load was offloaded, as the suspect was grilled for detailed information into his trade and his accomplices.
According to data from the Association of Kenya Insurers (AKI) Nairobi is a major playground for car thieves with a white, a Toyota, a station wagon costing less than 1 million being a target.
AKI Executive Director Tom Gichuhi said white cars fall an easy prey since they make the majority in Kenya, making them hard to trace in case of reported loss.
“Toyota make, which is owned by a majority of Kenyans, is exposed due to the easy sale of its spare parts and given that many models share the parts,” Mr Gichuhi said in a past interview.
Most of this vehicles once stolen are dissembled to meet the ever growing demand for spare parts in the country.