Two suspects behind a sophisticated scheme to defraud Dubai nationals have been arrested after months on the run.
Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), specifically the elite Operation Support Unit (OSU), confirmed the arrest of the two suspects, believed to be the masterminds of the gold scam which saw a Dubai national lose USD 54,000 (around Ksh 8.5 million).
The case dates back to September 2024, when two Dubai investors reported to authorities that they had lost money to what initially appeared to be a legitimate gold trade deal.
The investors were reportedly lured by the two main suspects, a man and a woman, with the promise of purchasing 35 kilograms of gold. After days of negotiations, they travelled to Nairobi, where the deal was to be finalised.
According to the DCI, the scam victims were whisked away to an upscale hotel in Kilimani immediately after they jetted into the country, where they were introduced to a well-coordinated network of imposters.
Interestingly, the imposters posed as various state agents, claiming to work at Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) customs and the Ministry of Mining. Other imposters claimed to be private jet operators, creating the illusion of authentic gold dealers.
Convinced that the deal was legitimate, the investors handed over Ksh 8.5 million before instantly realising they had fallen victim to a scam.
A complaint was launched, and the DCI immediately embarked on an investigation, with raids being conducted in Runda, Ridgeways, and the Industrial Area.
These specific locations were tipped to authorities by the two victims, who claimed to have been taken to the areas as part of the fraud scheme.
Since the initial raid on November 5 2024, 31 suspects were arrested, with the two masterminds going into hiding for nearly a year before their apprehension on Wednesday, August 13.
The pair were arraigned at the Milimani Law Courts on Thursday, where they denied the charges, with the case adjourned to August 18 for a determination of their bond terms.
Incidentally, this was the latest breakthrough in DCI investigations into gold scammers in the city, coming barely a week after another Kenyan was apprehended for his involvement in a scam targeting a Canadian investor, which resulted in losses of Ksh 80.34 million.
Investigators from the Operations Support Unit (OSU) say the suspect played a central role in a fake gold export deal that defrauded the foreign investor of USD 618,000, equivalent to around Ksh80.34 million.
