Police in Changamwe, Mombasa County, are investigating an incident in which thieves broke into a parked vehicle and stole Sh450,000.
This happened shortly after the owner withdrew the money from a bank, police said.
The incident happened on Tuesday evening at around 3:50pm near Masjid Taqwa Mosque adjacent to a yard in Kibarani within Changamwe Sub-County.
The complainant, a manager at Hermeen Enterprises in Kibarani, told police that he had withdrawn Sh450,000 from the DTB Bank Changamwe Mall Branch before driving back to Kibarani.
Police said the businessman stopped at Masjid Taqwa Mosque for evening prayers and parked his vehicle, a Subaru Forester outside the mosque.
On returning from the prayers, he discovered that unknown suspects had broken into the vehicle by smashing the front left window and stolen the cash that had been left inside.
Detectives visited the scene and documented the incident, while crime scene investigators photographed the vehicle for forensic examination.
No arrests had been made by the time of the report, and investigations are ongoing.
This is the latest such incident to happen amid efforts to solve them. Officials say most thieves behind the incidents hang in banking halls to monitor activities before they trail their subjects and strike.
Others collude with insiders and outsiders in the banks before they hit their targets.
Many people have lost cash and valuables in such scenarios in the past months amid police efforts to solve the trend.
The incidents have been on the rise in parts of Kitengela, Machakos and Vihiga. Detectives said they had dismantled a gang that was behind the attacks and recovered some exhibits. The suspects are facing charges in courts.
Investigations show some of the victims could be involved and would later share the loot. This involved company cash. Special squads have since been formed to crack on the gangs which even trailed their targets to homes.
