Five suspects implicated in a gold scam that left two businessmen, a Romanian and Swiss national, crying for justice after losing USD120,000 to the fraudsters are in custody.
The five include the mastermind and alleged CEO of AFREX Bridge Connections Ltd Lamarca J. Benjamin alias Morlon Jean Emmanuel, Samson Kibet Sirkoi, Lucy Gitonga, Rose Kambua and Justine Adhiambo, 25, who were all nabbed at different hideouts within the country.
In the complaint filed at Wilson Airport Police Station on January 29, 2025, the complainants alleged to have been approached by a contact person who informed them that the prime suspect (Lamarca) was in the business of selling 550 kilos of gold.
The gold was purportedly stored at a godown in JKIA awaiting clearance, and was to be transported on January 20, 2025 once the payment of USD120,000 was made.
Diving into the crafty machinations of the ring of scammers believed to be wallowing in the miasma of deceit for years, the complainants made the full payment, only to be taken in circles thereafter.
Launching investigations, detectives raided AFREX Bridge Connections Ltd offices where a number of crucial evidence was collected, and the first two suspects Lucy Gitonga and Rose Kambua arrested.
On January 31, 34-year-old Samson Kibet Sirkoi was also taken into custody, before the officers proceeded to Mount Kenya Wildlife Estate in Nanyuki’s Ol Pejeta Conservancy on February 2, where Lamarca alias Morlon and Justine Adhiambo were arrested.
From therein, two Glock Pistols, 96 rounds of 9mm ammunition, a pair of handcuffs, a laptop make apple, one MacBook and 6 expired mineral licences were confiscated. Also recovered was a motor vehicle make Toyota Landcruiser V8 silver in color among other assorted documents.
The two suspects were then escorted to Riverside Pearl residence in Kileleshwa within Nairobi at (Lamarca’s residence), where more exhibits were found including three 9mm tracer bullets, 14 smoke grenades, a bullet proof vest and assorted seals and stamps.
The Firearms Licensing Board has since confirmed that the said Lamarca alias Morlon is not a licensed firearm holder.
Whereas Lucy and Kambua were earlier arraigned and the investigators granted custodial orders to complete investigations, the remaining suspects are scheduled for arraignment.
Cases where foreigners are conned of money in the fake gold deals have been in the rise. Police have been urging the foreigners to always seek help from their embassies or ministry of mining over the deals.
Dozens of suspects have been arrested in an operation launched.
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