NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 18— Detectives in Thika have arrested two Iranian nationals for allegedly stupefying a shopkeeper and stealing Sh15,000.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said on Sunday the suspects, identified as 56-year-old Heidari Mansoior Eslam and 40-year-old Babaei Ahmad Mirzaaga, were apprehended after attempting to execute their scheme at a local mobile phone shop in Thika town.
Investigators said the two had posed as customers interested in purchasing a mobile phone. However, their behavior raised the shopkeeper’s suspicions, as he recalled a similar theft incident at a nearby shop about a month earlier.
“The shopkeeper became suspicious when the pair pretended to be customers looking to purchase a phone,” the DCI said.
“He suspected the two were involved in a theft at a nearby shop just a month prior, which raised alarms in his mind.”
Upon police arrival, the second shopkeeper positively identified the two foreigners as the same individuals who had allegedly used deceptive tactics to steal Sh 15,000 in the earlier incident.
An alarm was raised, drawing members of the public to the scene. Police officers promptly intervened, rescuing the suspects from a potentially volatile situation and preventing mob justice.
The two suspects are currently in custody at Thika Police Station, undergoing processing ahead of their arraignment in court.
