NAKURU, Kenya, Aug, 4 – A multi-agency security team in Nakuru county Tuesday saw police arrest a man said to be behind the infamous ‘confirm’ gang that has been terrorizing residents in Nakuru county.
Dickson Macharia, alias ‘Dico’ was paraded in front of glaring cameras, Wednesday and identified as the man behind the ‘terror’ group.
The 35-year-old is said to have been under police surveilance for years after allegedly ‘inheriting’ the running of the gang from his elder brother, identified as ‘Biggie’.
Biggie who was incarcerated at the Kamiti Maximum Prison is said to have been coordinating a mobile fraud syndicate, while in detention. His scams would entail duping unsuspecting mobile users while pretending to be a telecommunication employee.
After becoming the ‘top boss’ of the criminal organization that was formed in 2007 according to police, the group originally continued to specialize in mobile money fraud among other cybercrime-related activities before transitioning into other serious crimes.
Nakuru county commander Peter Mwanzo said that Macharia was part of the criminal organization leadership referred to as the ‘royal family’ at the height of his late brother’s dominance.
They are said to have been behind the syndicate that facilitates the distribution and sale of hard drugs including bhang, heroin, and even cocaine.
Reports indicate that his lavish lifestyle was one of the reasons he was able to lure 200 unemployed youth, mostly school dropouts to his criminal organization with promises of a better life.
Police Arrest.
Days after plans for the operation to arrest him were finalized, the suspect was caught in a police dragnet in Kivumbini area, Nakuru town.
“Macharia has had a reliable intelligence network. He knows when police are looking for him. Only after a massive hunt were we able to arrest him,” said Mwanzo.
He is said to have avoided capture in the past amid allegations that he had several police officers on his payroll. A recent shakeup of the police structure is further said to have left him vulnerable.
“We have gathered information that the suspect normally hosts at least 200 youths in his home to give them drugs for distribution within the county. His network has really taken root,” said Mwanzo.
During his arrest police confiscated, a consignment of bhang worth over Sh300,000 as well as Sh5,535.
Also recovered was a laptop which will be subjected to a forensic analysis by sleuths from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
“We expect him to appear in court once we complete investigations. We will clean the streets of Nakuru to ensure they remain safe for all residents,” said Mwanzo.
Also on police radar, is the suspect’s younger brother identified as Musa. He is said to be coordinating the distribution and sale of heroin across the county.
A police report showed that the gang largely consists of youth aged between 13 to 26 years.
It is said to be domiciled in slum areas, engaging in all forms of crimes including, robbery with violence, cybercrime, and even murder.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) in a previous report said that the gang which was characterized by the use of crude weapons now uses various kinds of firearms in their crusade of violence.
A recent police crackdown cited the Nakuru neighborhoods of Kivumbini, Bondeni, Kwa Rhoda, Manyani, Mawanga, Kaptembwa, and Kaloleni among other areas.
“They do not care what they do to people, whether they attack or rob you in the day or night. Violence is part of who they are,” said a Nakuru resident who further said,”I was robbed while walking in town in broad daylight. It happened so fast that by the time they left me on the ground is when I realized what had happened,”
Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr. Fred Matiang’i recently warned that the full might of the National Police Service would be deployed to the area in a bid to ‘annihilate’ the gang.
This came amid the killing of three women in the county last month.
The CS said that the operation would go hand in hand with efforts to combat threats of insecurity ahead of the August polls.
Police in Nakuru has also identified Dragon, Gaza, Msafi Kwanza, and even Eastlando as some of the gangs actively engaging in crime in Nakuru county.
The gangs are part of more than 90 others according to security agencies operating in Kenya amid security operations to wipe them out and apprehend their members before being arraigned.
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