File image of officers standing on guard at the entrance of the DCI Headquarters along Kiambu Road. Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have launched a manhunt for an armed, interconnected gang behind a wave of brazen daylight robberies targeting high-end restaurants and shopping malls in Nairobi's Westlands and the coastal town of Watamu.
A forensic analysis of communication trails, phone records, and digital footprints before and after the attacks showed that the suspects in both regions are closely linked and belong to the same organized criminal syndicate.
Police noted that the gang used identical tactics during the operations, always utilizing concealed pistols drawn simultaneously to catch unsuspecting diners and shoppers off guard. The syndicate's primary focus remains tracking and stealing high-value personal electronics, jewellery, and cash from their victims.
Investigators achieved a breakthrough after CCTV cameras captured clear footage of both incidents, allowing forensic teams to build detailed profiles of the gunmen.
"We have already made some major breakthroughs. Our team has managed to profile and get the identities of the suspects who are on the run, but we will soon catch up with....we are working on cracking these criminal gangs," DCI Director Mohamed Amin told Citizen Digital.
Additionally, detectives successfully recovered the getaway motorcycle used by the suspects during the Watamu Mall robbery.
A special team of elite DCI detectives is currently tracking the identified suspects across multiple counties, and the agency has urged members of the public with any information, photos, or video footage to report to the nearest police station or utilize their toll-free hotlines. Citizen Digital