Woman Arrested Over Alleged Plot to Smuggle Jailbreak Tools to Suspects

A woman has been arrested at Ruai Police Station after allegedly attempting to smuggle tools into the station concealed inside a meal meant for three remanded suspects.

In a statement on Wednesday, September 16, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said Christine Njoki Gitau, 18, arrived at the station reception and requested to visit three friends who were being held over robbery with violence and gang rape allegations.

"A prison visit meant to deliver a meal instead blew a plot wide open after sharp-eyed officers at Ruai Police Station unravelled a scheme to hand remanded suspects the very tools of their escape," the statement read.

According to the DCI, Gitau was carrying a plate of rice and meat, which she presented as a meal for the three suspects. 

However, officers became suspicious and subjected the food to a routine inspection.

The three suspects, identified as Emmanuel Bosire, Ismael Arisa and Brian Gatheru, were being held at the station over allegations linked to an anonymous TikTok account.

"The three: Emmanuel Bosire, Ismael Arisa and Brian Gatheru are being held at the station for operating an anonymous TikTok page, using it to lure young women into meetings before gang-raping and robbing them of their valuables," the statement added.

The DCI said the inspection of the food allegedly uncovered items that were not part of the meal, raising suspicions that they had been deliberately concealed for the suspects.

"But the cell sentry's instincts proved sharper than her disguise. A routine scoop through the food led to a shocking discovery: buried beneath the meal lay a pair of pliers and a shear, cold-steel tools meant to aid the escape of the three suspects," the statement further read.

The DCI said the discovery reportedly stopped the alleged escape plan before the tools could reach the suspects inside the cells.

"In an instant, a jailbreak-in-waiting was crushed before it could hatch. Christine was placed under immediate arrest, her plate of deception now the centrepiece of a widening investigation into who else may have had a hand in the plot," the statement concluded.

The suspects in this case were arrested in connection with a TikTok gang-rape scheme.

In a statement on Wednesday, September 9, the DCI confirmed that the detectives arrested three suspects, including a 17-year-old boy.

According to the agency, the suspects lured innocent victims on TikTok on the pretext of friendly encounters, before raping and robbing them.

"Preliminary investigations have established that the suspects allegedly operated an anonymous TikTok page, using it to initiate contact with their victims and arrange physical meetings. 

"Once the women agreed to meet, they were allegedly led to secluded or abandoned areas, where what began as seemingly ordinary encounters turned into terrifying ordeals of sexual violence and robbery," the statement read.

The DCI added that the victims were forced to transfer money from their mobile money wallets before surrendering their mobile phones and other valuables to the suspects.

Police officers further recovered six mobile phones from the suspects, who are alleged to be part of a wider criminal network.

The investigating officers are also looking for other victims and pursuing other individuals linked to the gun.

Additionally, the DCI warned young Kenyans to be careful about online meet-ups, urging them to always prioritise their security.

"Never let someone you have just met online lead you into a secluded or isolated place; meet in a safe, public setting and ensure someone you trust knows your whereabouts. 

"In the digital world, not every friendly profile is what it appears to be; what looks like an innocent invitation can quickly become a deadly trap," the statement added.