Two suspects linked to a motor vehicle theft syndicate in Kisumu have been released on bail following a ruling by the local court. The suspects, identified as Michael Mwaga and Peter Andei, were granted release on a cash bail of Ksh.500,000 each, with a surety of an equal amount.
The duo had been presented before the court after being arrested by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in connection with an elaborate car theft operation that has seen several vehicles stolen and later recovered across different parts of the county.
The prosecution had requested the court to allow the suspects to remain in custody for 21 days to enable investigators to complete their probe into the syndicate’s operations. However, Principal Magistrate Dennis Ogal ruled that the period sought was excessive, noting that the charges were bailable under Kenyan law. He ordered that the suspects be released on the set bail terms and directed the prosecution to ensure the suspects are formally charged by October 13.
Meanwhile, investigations into the syndicate’s activities are ongoing as detectives continue tracing the remaining stolen vehicles. The alleged mastermind of the operation, Evans Otieno Meda, was apprehended on Wednesday and is expected to be arraigned in court on Thursday to face related charges.
Police also made another breakthrough after recovering a vehicle suspected to have been stolen by the syndicate. The car, a Toyota Axio registration number KDD 559J, was found abandoned at a hospital parking yard in Kisumu. It was subsequently towed to Migosi Police Station as part of the continuing investigations.
The recovery brings to 13 the total number of vehicles retrieved so far in the DCI’s intensified crackdown on the car theft network. Authorities believe the group has been operating across several counties, targeting vehicles parked in public areas before forging ownership documents to resell them.
DCI officers have urged members of the public to be cautious when purchasing used vehicles and to verify ownership details through the NTSA portal to avoid falling victim to fraudulent transactions. The operation remains ongoing as police pursue additional leads linked to the wider criminal network believed to be behind a spate of vehicle thefts in the region.
