NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 12 – Police have recovered imported metal coils worth more than Sh5 million which were stolen while on transit from Mombasa to Nairobi.
The coils were found hidden in a warehouse in Kariobangi where two suspects were also arrested.
“They were offloaded and hidden in the warehouse. We have been looking for them,” Barrack Odera, a Manager with Shreeji Enterprises which was transporting the goods to Devki Steel Mills in Nairobi said.
A truck that was carrying the metal coils was traced and found abandoned in Mlolongo before the search for the coils began.
“The truck was traced using a GPS, but the driver is still missing,” Odera said.
Head of the Flying Squad unit Munga Nyale said they were investigating if the driver was involved in the theft.
“An investigation is underway, we are going to get all the suspects involved,” Nyale said.
He said other metal coils from the same consignment had been found hidden in another warehouse in Umoja estate.
Police believe the truck was diverted on Mombasa road before the goods were offloaded to another truck which transported them to Kariobangi and Umoja.
It however, remained a puzzle to police and officials of the transporting company on how the thugs managed to move the goods from one truck to the other and eventually pack them in the godowns because they weigh between two and three tonnes.
“Even if you bring 20 men, they cannot carry these coils, you require a mechanised system to move them,” Odera said.
The suspects are believed to have used a forklift to move the metal coils.
A machine used to cut and straighten the metal rods was found in the godown in Kariobangi. Some of them had been cut into small sizes to fit the market demand of the construction industry.
“It appears they have been cutting them before selling them to people in the construction industry,” one police officer said.
Odera however, said the metal coils are only meant for use in making nails and welding rods.
“Whatever they are doing with them is illegal, these metal coils are not supposed to be used for construction, they are too weak and cannot guarantee the strength of a house,” he said.
Police said it will take them hours to offload the metal coils to a truck for them to be taken to the police station as exhibits.
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