Nairobi News

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City gang queen wanted for burglaries across Africa arrested at JKIA


A Kenyan female robber wanted across the content was on Friday at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) as she awaited to fly out to Dar es Salaam.

Ms Margaret Waithira Kamande, who detectives describe as a notorious robber, was arrested on Thursday night after detectives trailed her to the airport.

“We trailed her for more than one month without raising any eyebrows and we are also planning to make more arrests. We are now targeting her accomplices,” an officer privy to the ongoing investigations told Nairobi News.

JUMPED BAIL

Nairobi News has established that Ms Kamande entered the list of Interpol wanted criminals after she jumped bail that was granted by a Zimbabwean court in burglary offence.

She was later arrested with two others in a Tanzanian nightclub. During the arrest, they were found in possession of door master keys, bunches of house keys and a crowbar that police in Zimbambwe believe was used to break into doors.

“She is also wanted by Interpol, Zimbabwe & other East African countries after she jumped bail which was granted by a Zimbabwean court in offences related to burglary and stealing. She had been on the run until her arrest,” the Directorate of Criminal Investigation said in a statement.

The arrest marked the end of a cat and mouse chase that Ms Kamande has engaged with Interpol and Kenyan detectives for years.

TIPPED OF ARREST

Detectives said she was planning to flee the country after being tipped of her possible arrest.

“Ms Margaret Waithira Kamande, a notorious house breaker was today arrested by DCI Detectives while trying to board a flight to Dar es salaam,” the Directorate of Criminal Investigation said in a statement.

Ms Waithira’s gang targeted Lang’ata, Kilimani, Kileleshwa and Lavington neighbourhoods.

She has been captured by CCTV cameras breaking into apartments and offices in Nairobi.

In some cases, members of the gang posed as workers from water or electricity companies during their robbery missions.

“It’s a well-structured gang that had succeeded in conducting deadly robberies that at times included the use of a gun when things went out of hand,” an officer revealed.