Police in Murang’a County are holding in custody three persons of interest who are believed to be behind the increased cases of abductions and robbery in the area.

The three – two women and a man are also said to have been terrorising residents in the neighbouring Kirinyaga County, where they abduct a person and demand a ransom from their families.

The suspects were arrested on Friday afternoon in Kangema following a week-long coordinated police operation as they have been on their radar for a few weeks.

According to police, the suspects had abducted a young woman at Kabura shopping centre along Sagana Murang’a road and they drove off towards Kangema. A tip off from the members of the public helped the police trace the culprits and they were intercepted before they could make any demands from the woman’s family.

The victim, Irene Muthoni, said the assailants approached her at the bus stop and offered to drop her in Murang’a town which was a few kilometres away Muthoni said when she got in the car, they told her they wanted Sh50,000 from her family failure to which they will kill her and dump her body in a place far away.

“They told me they are criminals and they demanded that my family should send they the money to secure my release,” said Muthoni. “It was a horrible encounter but they dropped me along the was after releasing police were pursuing them,”she added.

Hellen Nyambura, another victim said she was abducted on Thursday around 5pm at Kiangage market as she was heading for a church meeting. Nyambura said the assailants pulled over the car in front of her and a man who was armed with a gun alighted and forced her to get in the car.

“They took my phone, transferred some money which was in my Mpesa and took me to Kenol town where they also forced me to withdraw my money from the ATM,” said Nyambura.

“They also called my father, mother and my husband and demanding for money threatening to kill me if they wouldn’t comply and my father managed to send Sh40,000,” she added.

Nyambura was dumped at Kambiti along Kenol-MakuyuSagana road after they realised the police were pursuing them. Murang’a County Commissioner Joshua Nkanatha confirmed that the suspects’ vehicle had been under surveillance for two days before the successful operation on the third day in Kangema.

He said a security initiative dubbed ‘mulika uhalifu’ played a big role in aiding the arrested of the suspects.

“ The arrest of the suspects is a major breakthrough in our ongoing crackdown on rising crime in the county,” Nkanatha said.

On his part Murang’a County Police Commander Benjamin Kimwele assured residents that security operations remain active and that law enforcement officers are on high alert.