Two Foreign Nationals Arrested in Thika Over Suspected Drug-Facilitated Crime

Two foreign nationals aged 56 and 40 have been arrested in Thika in connection with an alleged attempt to commit a drug-facilitated offence at a mobile phone shop in the town centre.

Police said the suspects, who are reported to be from the Middle East, entered the shop posing as customers interested in buying a handset. Their conduct raised concern among traders in the area, prompting the shop attendant to alert a neighbouring business owner who had previously experienced a similar incident.

The second trader identified the men as the same individuals who had allegedly defrauded him of Sh15,000 during an earlier encounter. Residents gathered at the scene after the identification, and some threatened to assault the suspects before police intervened. 

Officers dispersed the crowd and escorted the men to Thika Police Station, where they remain in custody pending arraignment. The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said the case involves a suspected stupefying offence, in which substances are used to incapacitate victims to enable crimes such as theft, robbery, or sexual assault. 

Kenyan law classifies such offences as serious crimes, with penalties that can extend to life imprisonment in severe cases. Investigators have reported an increase in drug-facilitated crimes in urban areas including Nairobi, Nakuru, and Mombasa. Victims are frequently targeted in entertainment and public venues, where drinks or food may be tampered with without their knowledge.

The DCI has urged the public to remain alert, avoid accepting consumables from strangers, and report suspicious behaviour to the authorities promptly.