Dominic Wabala
22 July 2007
Nairobi — Police in Tanzania have arrested two Kenyans in connection with a US$180,000 (Sh12 million) robbery in Mwanga.
One of the suspects is Samuel Gitau Saitoti alias Simo, who is in Kenyan police's "Most Wanted" list. The other is Peter Michael Kaimenya.
The officers arrested the two in a house in Arusha's posh Liro Estate on Friday.
They recovered seven guns, including two AK 47 rifles with three magazines and 85 rounds of ammunition.
They also found a light machine gun, five pistols with 35 rounds of ammunition, two hand grenades, two bullet-proof jackets, several stones of bhang and US$845 (KSh56,000).
The hand grenades were wired to the door and the officers had to detonate them.
Kilimanjaro Regional Police Commander Mr Lucas Ng'hoboko said that the gangsters are suspected to have entered Tanzania through Namanga border point on June 12, 2007 and had been staying in the country planning the bank robbery.
Detectives from Kenya's Special Crimes Prevention Unit had travelled to Tanzania to assist their counterparts in tracking down the suspects, who are believed to have been part of a seven-man gang that raided the NMB Bank in Mwanga Town, 40km from the Moshi-Dar-es-Salaam highway, on July 11, made away with US$180,000 (KSh12 million) and killed a police officer.
One of their accomplices identified as Peter Mbugua Ndung'u , who came from Karuri in Kiambu, was shot dead during a gun battle with police and two pistols recovered from him.
A policeman was killed in the gun battle.
Strong room
The gangsters had abducted the bank's manager and his assistant, driven them to the bank at about 7.30 p.m. and ordered them to open the strong room, where they took the money.
This was the second major bank robbery in the Kilimanjaro region in three years.
On May 21, 2004, armed gangsters raided another bank in Moshi and stole US$5 million.
Twelve Kenyans who were arrested in Mozambique were charged with the robberies. Ten are still being held in Moshi but two have since died in prison.
Saitoti has been on the run for over three years along with Evans Mathyaka Mue alias Walter Musyoka and Jackson Irungu Mwangi alias Jack.
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