NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 16 – Gangsters on Monday night shot and killed a man who tried to raise alarm during a carjacking incident in Nairobi’s Githurai estate, police said.
Police and witnesses said the middle-aged man saw thugs attacking a motorist who was waiting for his gate to be opened.
“The gangsters immediately abandoned their mission and shot at him,” Kasarani divisional Police chief Jasper Ombati said.
“He was also robbed of his mobile phone and a wallet,” Mr Ombati said, quoting the motorist who witnessed the incident.
Mr Ombati said the motorist was not harmed, “because the gangsters fled immediately after the shooting.”
Another police officer said it is the motorist who alerted police of the shooting outside his gate and narrated to them what had happened.
Meanwhile, police have recovered nearly 2800 tablets of Mandrax and arrested two suspects.
The drugs worth nearly Sh500,000 were recovered when police raided a building on Muindi Mbingu Street in Nairobi’s Central Business District.
Central divisional criminal investigations Chief Festus Malinge told Capital News that a manhunt had been launched for three other suspects who fled.
“It is a major drug-trafficking syndicate which has been going on for a while now,” he said.
“The two suspects who are in custody have been helpful to us because we are able to know the movement of the drugs,” he added.
Mr Malinge said the suspects were part of a wider network of a cartel that “peddles Mandrax and other drugs in popular city bars and restaurants.”
Area police Chief Tito Kilonzi said the suspects would appear in court on Wednesday.
“The case is being handled by the CID department in my division; the officers are drafting charges for them (suspects),” he said.
Mandrax was originally a legal drug prescribed as a sleeping pill and it comes in tablet form.
It was declared illegal when it became clear it had serious side effects, including dependency.
Even after being declared illegal, it continued to be manufactured around the world and distributed as a pill.
Officers at the anti-narcotic department comes in a range of colours, including pink, black, purple, green and brown.
Side effects
A drug expert with the Anti-Narcotics Unit (ANU) based at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) told Capital News that major side effects of Mandrax include a strong physical dependency and bad withdrawal symptoms.
It also causes drastic weight loss, a swollen abdomen, loss of appetite, rotten teeth and bloodshot eyes.
About The Author
