Police make clarification on stolen car from Kenya

Dar es Salaam. Police have denied reports that the car stolen in Nairobi belonged to neighbouring country’s State House.

The law enforcers say international procedures will be followed in releasing suspects of the stolen car that was recently seized in Tanzania’s Kilimanjaro Region.

Kilimanjaro regional Police commander Hamis Issa told The Citizen over the phone on Friday, August 24, that the local media misreported the incident.

“The misreporting has brought serious confusion and inconvenience as we are frequently forced to clarify,” he said, adding, “The correct report is that a car from Kenya was confiscated for illegal entry and that two people have been arrested.”

He said the person holding genuine documents for the vehicle will be considered the owner, noting that false reporting could be translated as an arbitrary attempt to disown the car someone who legally owned it.

According to him, procedures governing the handing over of criminals between the two countries will be followed in releasing the impounded car and suspects to Kenyan authorities.

He told this paper that the car and suspects were yet to be handed over to the neighbouring country authorities.

The V8 Nissan Patrol was intercepted by Tanzania police at Bomang’ombe as it was being driven to Kilimanjaro, two days after it was reported stolen in Nairobi.

How the car was tracked

The car’s theft was reported at the Kilimani Police Station immediately after the incident and the car's registration number was circulated; detectives also contacted the company that fitted it with a tracker.

“The car was tracked to Bomang’ombe between Arusha and Moshi,” Kenyan authorities say before Kenya Police, International Police Organisation and the Tanzanian Police Force collaborated in tracing it.

The car had already been fitted with a fake Tanzanian number plate, T954 DEQ.

“We have interrogated the two suspects and their statements do not add up,” said Mr Issa immediately after seizing the car.