Police officers in Athi River have rescued a medical doctor who was abducted in Juja by armed men who allegedly demanded a Sh3 million ransom, following an intelligence-led operation that led to the arrest of one suspect and the recovery of key evidence.
The victim, identified as Emmanuel Kerich, was rescued after officers from Athi River Police Station, working alongside members of the public, intercepted the suspects' vehicle along the Mavemba–Mugoya Road in Athi River.
According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Kerich was with friends at Juja City Mall when three men accosted him, handcuffed him and forced him into a Subaru Forester bearing registration number KBK 895W.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the vehicle's side mirrors displayed a different registration number, KDQ 640F, in what detectives believe was an attempt to conceal the vehicle's identity during the crime.
The suspects allegedly drove the doctor through several locations, torturing him while demanding Sh3 million for his release before heading towards Athi River.
Acting on intelligence and with assistance from members of the public, police tracked the vehicle and intercepted it, triggering a confrontation with the suspects.
During the operation, two suspects escaped, while a third was cornered by members of the public and subjected to mob justice before officers intervened.
Police said the suspect was rescued and taken to hospital, where he remains under police guard.
"The victim was rescued safely. Officers also recovered a pair of handcuffs believed to have been used during the abduction, while the Subaru Forester has been detained as an exhibit to aid ongoing investigations," the DCI said in a statement.
Detectives have since launched a manhunt for the two fugitives as investigations continue.
The DCI has appealed to members of the public with information that could assist the investigation to report anonymously through its toll-free hotline or WhatsApp platform under the #FichuaKwaDCI initiative.