Kenya Involves Interpol In Tracking Down Chinese Kidnap Mastermind

MACHAKOS Kenya January 18 -Kenya has involved the International Police Organization (Interpol) in the search for a suspect in China who planned the kidnapping of his fellow countryman in Athi River, Machakos County.

The kidnappers had demanded a ransom which was then wired to the suspect’s account in China, according to the investigation report.

Already, three General Service Unit (GSU) officers have been arrested and arraigned and detectives sought custodial orders to finalise investigations into the January 8, 2023 kidnapping.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has said Constables Fredrick Mwongela Mwololo, Samuel Mwiti and Kimwele Musyoki were arrested in Nairobi a week after the incident, as manhunt for the kidnapping mastermind continues.

The probe unearthed an international criminal ring, where victims are only targeted after a background check on their financial status.

The victim in this case, a Chinese national, was waylaid on his way to work.

“After hours of disappearance, concerned friends reported to the DCI, and detectives forensically traced him to Mua Hills in Machakos,” the DCI said.

The victim was later released where he narrated his ordeal to the detectives.

It was then established that five men including a Chinese national who as the mastermind, a taxi driver and the three police officers had executed the kidnapping.

The mastermind called the victim’s family back in China demanding for an unestablished amount of ransom which was wired to a bank account in China.

“After money was deposited, the gang’s accomplices in China confirmed that the family had complied, and the victim was released,” the DCI added.

Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau (CRIB) detectives initiated a systematic probe into the abduction, and two vehicles -a taxi Registration number KDL 070P and another vehicle -were identified ‘as vehicles of interest’.

On Friday last week, January 12, the taxi was traced to Rongai and the owner arrested.

During interrogation he revealed that on that particular day, he did not have the car as he had taken his children to school. He added that his friend had borrowed the car and returned it later.

Investigations revealed that the named suspect, who is still at large, was a former staff at the victim’s company.

It was further established that there had been in constant communication between him and the arrested GSU officers. Forensic analysis also placed the four at the scene of crime.