A robbery at the Njukiri market in Embu County has left two suspected gangsters dead, and three others injured on Friday.
According to reports, the gang of five had reportedly invaded a hardware store in the early hours of the morning, where they began moving items such as has cylinders and other relevant good.
The Njukiri Police not far from the location, heard the noise and rust to the scene of the incident. On getting there, the thieves were busy moving goods into their parked vehicle.
The gang members defied orders from the police to surrender and instead, scurried into their car with the stolen items and sped off while the police gave a hot chase.
The officers shot sporadically at the speeding vehicle, leaving some of the gang members badly injured. The driver of the car soon lost control and crashed into a tree, which helped the police to catch of with them.
However, on getting to the scene of the wrecked car, the police found the dead bodies of two of the suspects, while the three accomplices were nowhere to be found at the scene.
According to Embu West sub-county police boss Julius Kyumbule, bodies of the dead gang members have been deposited at the Embu Referral Hospital mortuary, while the ones who escaped are being trailed. He added that all stolen items have been recovered.
He further disclosed that the gangsters were on a stealing spree, as they reportedly broke into three other shops at the Manyatta market, where they also carted away with valuables.
“We have recovered gas cylinders, shoes and other property the gangsters had stolen from the two markets,” he said.
Traders in the area had raised the alarm about series of incidents of thefts in the markets, which was beginning to affect them. The incident will bring some peace to their businesses.
“The gangsters have been giving traders sleepless nights and now we have caught them red-handed stealing,” Kyumbule added.
Reacting to the incident, one of the traders said they can now breathe free from the constant attacks.
“We have been losing money and valuables to the gangsters but from now onwards we shall have peace,” the trader said.