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Five cops, cab driver arrested on suspicion of taking Chinese SGR worker hostage

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The officers attached to the Railways and Makongeni police stations detained the Chinese man under the guise of his not having a valid work permit/XINHUA

NAIROBI, Kenya, June 11 – Five policemen and a taxi driver were on Friday night arrested on suspicion of kidnapping and extorting a Chinese national working on the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) project.

Kiambu County Commander James Mugera told Capital FM News that the officers attached to the Railways and Makongeni police stations and the taxi driver detained the Chinese man under the guise of his not having a valid work permit.

He said they held the Chinese national hostage before demanding Sh1 million from him to let him go.

“Nobody was aware of their operation since it is not within their docket. Policemen from the Railways police station only deal within issues to do with the railways and we do not know why they arrested the Chinese,” Mugera told Capital FM News.

He said the family of the railway worker brought his disappearance to the attention of the police in Thika and a team was dispatched to Nairobi after which the six were arrested at Muthaiga police station where they drove to on realising they were being trailed.

“The suspects were operating in two vehicles while making calls to the family and friends of the victim before the matter was reported to police,” Mugera said.

“It was then that a team trailed them from Jogoo Road, to the City Centre and finally to the Muthaiga police station where they tried to book the Chinese on claims he was in Kenya illegally.”

The suspects who were taken to Thika for question are due to be charged in court on Monday.

Mugera said they were looking to establish if the officers were part of a syndicate and/or had extorted others.

Also on Friday, a policeman attached to Thika police station was arrested in the town after being found in possession of an elephant tusk.

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Mugera said his accomplices escaped on foot when Kenya Wildlife Service officers (KWS) found them at a petrol station where they had parked their car waiting for a buyer.

The officer is being held at the Lang’ata police station ahead of his arraignment on Monday.

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