At least 31 suspects linked to a fake gold scam syndicate were Tuesday arrested in a crackdown by detectives from the Operations Support Unit in Runda, Ridgeways and Industrial Area parts of Nairobi.
During the operation, investigators seized key evidence, including counterfeit gold, spray paint, and padlocks used to create the fake gold.
The arrests followed a scam in which two foreign nationals were duped into purchasing 35 kilograms of fake gold, losing over Sh5 million in the process.
Some of the suspects are known repeat offenders who face multiple fraud charges in court and are expected to face additional charges related to this latest scam on Wednesday.
The foreigners, who were lured to Kenya on September 4, 2024, by the scammers, were convinced to purchase 35 kilograms of gold through three separate transactions.
However, after making the payments, they were taken on a wild goose chase, and the gold was never delivered.
The officer is decorated with what appears to be gold-adorned walls, a beverage jar that looks golden, and even flags, a Kenyan flag and an East African community flag adding to the veneer of legitimacy to the scam.
Among the exhibits recovered were a Subaru vehicle, complete with a siren, reportedly used to escort unsuspecting clients from the airport, only for them to later become victims of the scam.
Also seized were crucial tools such as spray paint and padlocks used to create the fake gold.
The suspects, all known repeat offenders with ongoing fraud cases in court, are said to have powerful connections within government circles, which have reportedly shielded them from past actions.
Masquerading as genuine dealers in the precious metal, the suspects had on diverse dates in September, 2024 paraded coated off base metals to hoodwink and lure the two foreigners into a business deal, thereafter holing up with the thousands of dollars.
After making several trips to the country and into the opulent offices in which the scammers operated, the victims grew suspicious of the excuses made on why the 35kg of gold they had bought was not being exported to Dubai as agreed, thereby reporting the suspected fraud at DCI.
A swift and coordinated crackdown was launched by the Operations Directorate led by the Operations Support Unit team, who raided the three operational bases and effected the arrest of the 31 suspects.
The operation also saw the seizure of four motor vehicles, metal boxes containing fake gold nuggets and bars, several radio sets, fake stamps and authorization certificates for various ministries in the government, branded reflector jackets, Kenya and East African flags among others, all which were processed and secured at a police exhibit store.
Meanwhile, interrogation on the suspects has since revealed some notorious faces in the illegal business as the masterminds of the scheme, including the suspected leader of the syndicate, Nashon Otieno Angudha, a serial who has two similar active cases in court.
In one of the cases that is coming up for mention tomorrow at Milimani Law Courts, Nashon is charged with conspiracy to defraud c/sec 317 of the penal code.
His second case graduated into a robbery with violence charge after their to-be-victims of gold scam (an Australian man and his Ugandan wife) were attacked, robbed and sexually assaulted by his team. In the case, Felix Ochieng Nyongesa and Jack Ouma Okwiri are his co-accused persons.
They will be arraigned on Wednesday to face charges of fraud.
