A gold scamming syndicate was dismantled on Wednesday, April 30, by detectives, resulting in the arrest of 11 suspects with a haul of counterfeit gold.
In a statement from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, detectives from the Nairobi Regional Criminal Investigations Office targeted the suspects after acting on reliable intelligence.
According to the DCI, the detectives sprang into action after the syndicate defrauded an unsuspecting individual of Ksh70 million (USD 546,000).
The suspects were trailed and nabbed in their hideout at Spring Valley estate, with detectives conducting a search and recovering a haul of fake gold weighing 305kg. Also recovered at the scene were a weighing machine and an electronic gold tester.
Another considerable item found at the suspects' hideout was a dust coat bearing the Ministry of Mining logo. This, according to the DCI, was reportedly used to convince victims that they were legitimate dealers in gold.
The syndicate comprised individuals from different nationalities, including seven Kenyans, two Congolese nationals and two Cameroonian citizens.
"The seized items are safely secured as exhibits, as detectives delve deeper into what appears to be an elaborate, well-networked scam," DCI confirmed in their statement.
Gold fraud schemes have been rampant in Kenya, with the suspects mainly targeting foreign nationals. As recently as February 2025, five other suspects were caught trying to defraud businessmen from Romania and Switzerland.
The fraudsters' modus operandi is quite simple, as it often involves convincing gold dealers that they can supply hefty amounts of the precious mineral for cheap.
In some instances, the fraudsters claim their gold is stuck at a warehouse and is awaiting clearance, subject to an initial deposit.
At this point, unsuspecting victims are convinced, and they usually end up making a hefty payment, only to be taken in circles after payment.
A separate incident in 2024 saw three suspects taken into custody after scamming a foreigner and his business partner after they first lured them to travel to Kenya in June 2022 to sell them 100kg of gold.
The victim was convinced to pay Ksh51.6 million in duty through a law firm at the beginning of their business contact. He was then given 12 kg of gold, which the seller said he was free to fly out as hand luggage and sell in order to recover the funds he had paid earlier in the initial transaction.
Things, however, took a sharp twist when the foreigner who was about to leave the country was shortchanged by being informed that he could not leave with the 12kg since it was to be part of the larger package of the purchase, making it a total of 112kg.
