A US citizen working as a manager at a refinery in Dallas, Texas, lost Ksh25.5 million ($183,600) in a gold scam reportedly orchestrated by Kenyans at a warehouse in Mlolongo, hours after flying into the country.
Detectives drawn from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) on Monday, June 13, raided the warehouse and ascertained that the bars of gold purchased by the American were fake.
The victim reported that she spoke with the individuals online for a while, and after an assurance that the package was ready, she flew to Kenya to inspect the quality of the goods.
However, she was asked to pay for the first shipment and an instalment for 60 kilograms of the gold before delivery.
The foreigner was, however, suspicious of the deal and quickly alerted the DCI officers, who then conducted the raid, unearthing the tricks used by the suspects.
According to the victim, the scammers gave her a tour of the warehouse, showing her the different packages, including her alleged crates of gold.
She added that the suspected conmen further conducted laser tests to determine the gold's weight.
They also showed her crates full of gold that were ready for shipment through the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA). Detectives later discovered that the crates were full of cement at the bottom with fake gold bars disguised at the top.
Additionally, the suspects were in possession of fake mineral export permits allegedly signed by the commissioner of customs as well as a fake cargo insurance certificate.
Detectives arrested two suspects during the raid as investigations commenced.
The DCI warned of the rise in fake gold scams, underlining that scammers had settled on using private freight companies since they allegedly provided ground and cargo handling services in major airports across the globe.
In May 2023, a Briton based in Dubai filed a suit in Kenya, claiming he lost nearly Ksh120 million in a fake gold scam.
The businessman further urged the court to freeze the suspects' bank accounts. Despite his prayers being granted, the court later unfroze the accounts, citing insufficient evidence.
