Police in Embu North Sub-county have recovered 11 bags of parchment coffee valued at Sh2 million, which had been stolen from the Embu County Coffee last Saturday.
The vehicle ferrying the loot was intercepted along the Embu-Nairobi Highway near Embu Town, following a tip-off from members of the public, where one suspect was also nabbed.
The Sub County Police Commander Abdullahi Alio said preliminary investigations pointed at collusion of workers at the mill, where coffee from all factories across the county is stored awaiting sale.
He said they had commenced investigations to arrest all culprits involved in the theft, even as the main suspect, a quality assurance manager, was expected to be arraigned in court Tuesday.
“We are scrutinizing his phone to give us crucial leads from his call log on others who could be involved,” said the police boss.
At the same time, farmers affiliated to the mill have since demanded for the disbandment of the entire Board of Management at the factory, so as to safeguard their produce.
“We have lost confidence in workers at the mill if at all our coffee can find its way out without farmers’ knowledge in broad daylight,” said a farmer Joseph Kanyi.
The farmers threatened to storm the mill to eject the current management team and install an interim committee to safeguard their coffee.
They also demanded for immediate arrest and prosecution of all those who played part in the theft.
By Samuel Waititu
