Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have arrested a Mombasa-based woman for allegedly orchestrating a robbery with violence scheme against a British man.
The woman reportedly staged a robbery against her British boyfriend, after luring him to her apartment for what was supposed to be a 'dream date'.
According to detectives, the suspect had been wooing the Briton online for months, charming him with promises of everlasting love. After weeks of constant communication, the man visited her apartment in Nyali.
Barely minutes into their meeting, the door burst open and two men stormed in, one claiming to be the woman's husband while the other flashed a fake police ID.
The DCI report revealed that the alleged husband reportedly accused the British man of wrecking his home, even as the fake police officer threatened to arrest the foreigner.
Terrified by the ordeal, the British man was forced to transfer Ksh800,000 to the mobile numbers provided by the gang members before he was set free.
"Once the cash landed, the trio calmly escorted their victim out before vanishing into Mombasa's humid night like ghosts after payday," the DCI officers narrated.
Following the incident, the foreigner sought the DCI's help and acting on forensic intelligence, detectives launched a pursuit, arresting the woman and one of her accomplices.
Investigations have since established that the two are part of a notorious syndicate that lures foreigners through dating sites, sets them up in rented apartments, and robs them of their hard-earned money
The two suspects are currently in police custody, undergoing processing pending arraignment, with the detectives launching a manhunt for the third suspect.
Incidents of Kenyans getting involved in romance scams targeting foreigners have been prevalent in recent months, particularly in the coastal region. In April this year, another British man was scammed out of Ksh14 million in a bride scam.
The man who made the revelation during an interview with the BBC revealed how he transferred his life savings to someone called 'Anita' from Kenya with the intention of marrying her.
The 69-year-old, who was living in Leiston, Suffolk, had started an online relationship with the woman, falling in love for the first time since the death of his wife, Pauline, in 2019.
After striking up a seemingly romantic online relationship, he agreed to move to Nairobi and marry her. He began to send money so she could prepare their home, but when he landed in Kenya, she was nowhere to be found.
