Probe exposes gangs now using high-end vehicles to commit robberies

A disturbing pattern is unfolding across Nairobi’s affluent neighbourhoods — a wave of meticulously planned robberies targeting high-end estates.

What is raising alarm is the criminals’ evolving strategy. Once dependent on low-profile vehicles, these syndicates now deploy luxury SUVs like the Toyota Prado, blending effortlessly into the upscale environments they exploit.

Citizen TV revisited victims of these sophisticated heists in General Mathenge Drive, Syokimau, Shanzu Road, and Embakasi, where the operations appear calculated and chillingly synchronised.

At Sunpark estate in Syokimau, four individuals — two men and two women dressed in buibui — arrive in a Toyota Prado, registration number KDS 720F. They claimed to be heading to the swimming pool but failed to register with security.

Moments later, the group was seen entering one of the apartments. CCTV footage confirms they broke in and made away with valuables and cash. Their faces, now familiar, have been flagged in other complexes they previously robbed.

In Embakasi, surveillance captures a businessman withdrawing cash from a local bank. Unknown to him, he’s being tracked by suspects in a Nissan X-Trail.

The vehicle follows him from the bank to his workplace. CCTV shows the X-Trail parked beside his car, suggesting premeditated surveillance.

Shortly after, the businessman’s car is found with a shattered window. The suspects attempted to steal the cash but failed. The victim had already secured the money elsewhere.

Documents from the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) reveal the X-Trail is registered to a private company in Nairobi. Investigations into its ownership are ongoing.

Between September 26 and 29, a Toyota Prado was spotted in multiple neighbourhoods — General Mathenge, Roopra Parklands, Shanzu Road, and Sunpark. CCTV footage places the vehicle at each location, raising suspicions of a wider criminal network.

Residents say the suspects pose as house hunters. Once they identify homes with absent occupants, they break in and loot valuables.

The use of high-end vehicles, coordinated surveillance, and deceptive tactics marks a dangerous shift in urban crime.

Authorities and residents alike are calling for heightened vigilance and swift action.