Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) on Sunday morning, November 30, 2025, arrested three people in Diani and recovered counterfeit currency with a face value of KES 1.7 million.
The suspects were caught in a rented house in the Ukunda area after weeks of surveillance by the DCI’s anti-counterfeit unit.
According to the official DCI statement, the fake money was neatly packed in bundles of Sh1,000 notes and hidden inside an ordinary laptop bag.
The bag was tied with a white ribbon bearing the handwritten words “CBK 1000,” an attempt to make it look like an official Central Bank of Kenya parcel.
Detectives said the notes were of unusually high quality, complete with security threads, watermarks, and raised print that could easily deceive the naked eye and even some basic counterfeit detectors used by traders.
DCI stated that the operation followed forensic leads that traced the fake notes to the coastal area.
The agency noted that the counterfeit currency had been circulating in local businesses and tourist spots in Diani over the past few weeks.
DCI said the suspects are part of a larger network suspected of distributing fake money along the Kenyan coast.
The three are now in custody at Diani Police Station and are expected to appear in court to face charges, including possession of counterfeit currency and forgery.
The arrest follows a similar DCI operation on October 8, 2025, during which one suspect was nabbed in Lang'ata, Nairobi, with counterfeit US dollars valued at USD 31,700 (approximately KES 4 million).
In that case, detectives recovered the fake notes from a residence in Royal Park Estate during a multi-agency raid targeting organized crime networks.
DCI has urged traders, hotels, and forex bureaus in Kwale and Mombasa counties to carefully inspect their notes and report any suspicions anonymously to the toll-free line at 0800 722 203.
