Burglars busted with fake plates, cannabis stash

Cops chased down some dumb burglars in Ruiru. Officers from the Gatong’ora police station stopped a break-in at a shop in Ruiru's Destiny area, Kiambu county, on Saturday. They saw five suspects trying to force their way inside before dawn. The guys ran to a waiting car when they spotted the patrol. Police chased the saloon car and shot out its rear tires to stop it. The suspects bailed and ran off on foot into the neighborhood.

Cops found a whole crime kit inside the abandoned car. They recovered fake license plates already on the vehicle, extra counterfeit plates, a toy gun, two crowbars, six master keys, three rolls of what looked like weed, and other sketchy stuff. The police impounded the car and are still trying to track down the five suspects.

This kind of thing happens a lot around the holidays in Kiambu. The county has a high crime rate, just behind Nairobi. Thieves often target empty homes and shops when families travel for Christmas and New Year. Police say they have increased patrols in residential areas and business districts to try to prevent these seasonal crimes. They are doing more foot patrols, roadblocks, and operations targeting things like drugs in vulnerable zones. The goal is to keep things safer while everyone is out celebrating.