[meteorite-list] FWD from Mike Farmer - Robbery in Kenya

From: Peter Davidson <P.Davidson_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Mon, 10 Oct 2011 16:25:34 +0100
Message-ID: <D7171847AEFC6A4893D80C75E547E27105046E8E_at_nmsmail02.nms2k.int>

Hi Mike and Listees

A truly horrific story and I am glad you survived. Aside from all the
other aspects of this story - bad though they are - it is the fact that
Kenya, once considered a relatively safe country is now the location for
some horrendous kidnapping and murder of Western visitors. Some
incidents are being ascribed to Somalis coming over the border, but some
also seem to be local Kenyans.

Best Wishes Everyone (and stay safe!)

Peter Davidson
Curator of Minerals
 
National Museums Collection Centre
242 West Granton Road
Edinburgh
EH5 1JA
Scotland
0131 247 4283
p.davidson at nms.ac.uk
-----Original Message-----
From: meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com
[mailto:meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com] On Behalf Of Art
Sent: 07 October 2011 19:37
To: Meteorite List
Subject: [meteorite-list] FWD from Mike Farmer - Robbery in Kenya

Forwarded from Mike:

"Yesterday I was robbed in Thika, Kenya by a group of men armed with
at least one gun, handcuffs and machetes. We were attacked after being
led into the field to buy meteorites. It was a well-planned and
prepared ambush set up by some of my contacts. They knew that
yesterday was my last day in the field and they wanted all the money.
I knew it was dangerous to return to the field for a third time but
they lured me back to Kenya with stories of many mo stones. I bought a
209 gram stone yesterday just after arriving, but then our contacts
told us that for 3 more pieces we had to pick up a guy and he would
take us to the location. Should have known this was a disaster, but
overconfident. We drove through the del Monte pineapple fields toward
Mwana Wikio so I knew it was the strewn field area so was not
concerned. We arrived in a desolate area with a small stone building
and after waiting about 2 minutes two guys walked past the car,
nothing abnormal in Africa. Suddenly I saw a guy run up beside our car
with a gun and my driver tried to start the car but it was too late, 5
or 6 guys ambushed us including the guy in the car. They beat my
driver and other guy with us, forced them out of nuts car and locked
them in the trunk. I was sandwiched in between two guys with a machete
at my throat, a very sharp one. I kept telling the to relax, take the
money, they were all yelling in English and Swahili for me to give
them the dollars. I kept telling them I had Kenyan shillings only. I
had about $2500 cash me, they ripped my clothes apart and ransacked
the car. They took my phones American and Kenyan, wallet, passport,
backpack with meteorite, camera etc, even took my Teva sandals off my
feet, one man had the gun at my head the other the machete at my
throat the entire time so I could not move. One kept screaming at them
to "kill him, finish it";. I must have been more calm than at any
other time in my life and you all know I am not a calm person. Oddly
it seemed like time was standing still, all this activity around me
and yelling and I just kept telling them to relax, take the money and
let us go. Suddenly all of them got in the car, me and 3 in the back
and two in the front and they moved the car into the woods, brush. I
was then realizing that they were likely going to kill us, why move
the car after you get all the stuff? Then one guy said again to kill
me and the other said no. He then threw me my passport and wallet
empty of cash of course, and said "no documents" then ask me if I
could drive. I said yes and he told me to drive. I tried to get out
but one hit me in the head with something and told me not to get out
but to go over the seats, I was then panicking and struggling to get
to the front of the car, but somehow got the car started and they all
ran. I drove very fast down very bad dirt trail with my two guys in
the trunk screaming, after maybe a mile or so I stopped and let them
out. We rushed to the Thika main police station and reported the
robbery.

It was foolish to go into the bush and I nearly paid with my life this
time, they planned the attack for days communicating with my driver.
The police are pulling all his call records so should be able to catch
them. They took a lot of expensive things like my Tag Heur watch, Sony
camera, I phone etc, all can be found as no one there has money for
such things. Sentence for violent armed robbery here is mandatory life
in prison, which the police told me would be lucky to pass 10 years
before dying.

My wife decided to stay in the hotel in Nairobi thank god she was
scared and told me not to go. She knew something bad was going to
happen. Heading home now, a lot poorer but happy to have my head
attached."

Michael Farmer

Sent from my iPad
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Received on Mon 10 Oct 2011 11:25:34 AM PDT