177 Gang Members Arrested After CCTV Of Mombasa Youth Robbing Shopper

Detectives in Mombasa on Wednesday, April 24 arrested 177 suspects alleged to be part of a gang that has been systematically terrorising residents in the region.

The suspects were arrested during a night operation conducted by a multi-agency team, led by Mombasa County Commissioner Mohammed Noor.

Noor, who confirmed the arrests, stated that the government would seek to step up the operations which he noted would be carried out in various parts of the country including parts of Kisauni, Jomvu, Likoni and Mvita.

“As of yesterday night, we had arrested about 177 suspects, 27 suspects of whom were arrested in the Kisauni area," the county commissioner stated.

DCI detectives on bikes during a past training session. /DCI

"We also managed to recover bhang. The operation will continue until the county is safe."

The county commissioner also directed that the distribution of relief food in the area was immediately halted to curb the increasing crime rates.

This comes after CCTV footage emerged on Tuesday showing a group of youth, numbering about 20, surrounding and robbing a man who was walking along the streets of Mombasa County.

The footage seen by Viral Tea captured the group walking casually along the streets of Haile Selassie Avenue in the island city under the guise of normalcy, disappearing briefly from the view of the camera.

Suddenly, commotion ensued outside a supermarket with a section of youth seen running towards the scene.

Notably, one of them in a black hoodie who was seen walking alongside his mates earlier reappeared in a rush.

The individual was then spotted jogging towards and tailgating one of the shoppers before he grabbed him from behind by his neck, with his mates joining in robbing him of his valuables.

They were joined by scores of youth who robbed the individual in turns, causing a commotion before disappearing from the scene.

The 53-second clip which was captured on Monday, April 22 at 5 pm sparked uproar on social media with netizens calling on the authorities to crack down and arrest the young men who robbed the individual, some posing as bystanders possibly to mask their true intentions.

Some believed that this was a pattern emerging where criminal activities were on the rise whenever schools were closed.

The coastal city has been dealing with a surge in criminal incidents, particularly linked to the proliferation of gangs. Just last month, authorities apprehended 10 individuals linked to gang-related violence.

Residents of Mombasa have decried growing frustration over the escalating attacks perpetrated by machete-wielding juvenile gangs.

Police officers stop to inspect a car in Mombasa. /FILE