On Wednesday, officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) arrested a prime suspect in a syndicate that swindled four businesspersons over Ksh100 million in fake sugar imports.
According to a report by the DCI, the 46-year-old was arrested following an extensive investigation into the crime, which reportedly occurred between May and October 2023.
During the investigations, the officers concluded that the prime suspect, along with other accomplices, swindled money meant to import 15,000 bags of sugar from Brazil.
The victims of the fraud, who had expected to receive the sugar, made payments totalling Ksh100 million through five bank accounts to facilitate the transaction.
However, the fake importers failed to deliver the promised commodity, leading the businesspersons to panic.
The importers managed to string the four businessmen along for months and then disappeared without a trace. The businessmen were left with no way of reaching the syndicate.
It was at this point that a decision was made by the businessmen to reach out to the DCI for help in recovering their investments.
The Operation Support Unit subsequently launched investigations into the matter and thereafter sent a comprehensive report to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).
The ODPP directed that the suspects be arrested and eight charges be brought against them. They include obtaining money by false pretences, an offence that contravenes section 313 of the penal code.
On Wednesday, the first suspect was apprehended and thereafter arraigned at the Milimani Law Courts, where he pleaded not guilty to the offence.
He was released on a Ksh3 million bond or a cash bail of Ksh500,000 pending trial. A manhunt for the other suspects is still ongoing.
There has been an increase in cases of unsuspecting businesspeople being swindled out of millions by such syndicates in the country, with foreigners being the most vulnerable.
