Three suspects accused of defrauding Kenyans through dubious schemes met their downfall on Tuesday after being arrested while attempting to con another victim in Nairobi.
The three were arrested in Nairobi's Kilimani Estate while on their hunting spree. Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) revealed that the suspects had been operating a well-coordinated scheme to defraud unsuspecting Kenyans of their money.
The trio lured their victims by promising lucrative deals, only to vanish once payments were made. Their latest target had alerted authorities after becoming suspicious of their tactics, leading to a sting operation that resulted in their capture.
According to DCI, the three were caught while handing over a safe containing Ksh154.8 million (1.2 million fake US dollars) to a victim that they had defrauded to obtain clean money.
Additionally, this is not the first time that the three have been engaged in criminal activities to defraud unsuspecting victims of the public. They had previously obtained Ksh4.3 million from another unsuspecting Kenyan.
''The three(names withheld) had their proverbial 40 days come to an abrupt end along Nyerere Road when the detectives got wind of their mischief,'' DCI shared in a statement.
''The three, who had already begun counting their luck, were stopped in their tracks while handing over a safe containing 1.2 million fake US Dollars to the victim in an attempt to obtain clean money. The malefactors had previously obtained Ksh4.3 million from another honest Kenyan,'' the DCI added.
Police officers also impounded a Toyota NZE car that the suspects were using to ferry the safe containing the fake dollars to defraud the unsuspecting members of the public.
''A Toyota NZE that was ferrying the safe containing the fake Dollars was impounded, and so were the safe and its contents which have been kept as exhibits,'' DCI stated.
Following the apprehension, they were presented before Milimani Law Court's Chief Magistrate, where the police were granted an application to have them detained for 6 more days until January 27 to complete investigations.
''The trio was presented before the Chief Magistrate’s Court Milimani where custodial orders were granted for the detention of the suspects at Kilimani Police Station until 27th January 2025,''
The police have cautioned the public against participating in money laundering schemes that promise quick and easy profits.
''Investigations have revealed that some victims have lost their valuables including houses and vehicles that were placed as collaterals in exchange for hard cash that is eventually lost to the criminals, with victims being left with nothing to show but millions of fake dollars,''
Nairobi's Kilimani estate has become a hotspot for criminal activities, including gold scams, money laundering, and swindler cartels, posing significant challenges for authorities attempting to dismantle their operations.
