Detectives drawn from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) on Friday intercepted two containers at the Port of Mombasa suspected to be containing fake tantalum minerals.
The containers, which had already been paid for by a Chinese businesswoman, were set to be shipped to China with the new owner unaware it was a scam.
The Chinese businesswoman is said to have deposited Ksh151 million for one container which was safely ferried to China, only to realise the container had been loaded with soil instead of minerals.
Following the incident, detectives based in Mombasa were notified and quickly intercepted two other similar containers that were just about to leave the port of Mombasa for China.
Upon opening the containers, detectives found drums loaded with soil instead of the tantalum minerals.
Initial investigations linked the incident to fake gold scammers who mostly operate in Nairobi’s Kilimani area and are fond of using the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) to commit their atrocities.
According to detectives, the scammers are said to have shifted their operations to Mombasa and colluded with some port officials to scam unsuspecting individuals.
During the crackdown, one suspect was nabbed. According to detectives, the suspect is said to be collaborating with fake gold scammers in Congo and Uganda.
The multi-agency team took samples of the sand for further investigations.
Barely a month ago, on December 28, 2023, DCI officers arrested seven suspects in Kileleshwa, Nairobi, accused of planning to defraud two Malaysian nationals of Ksh2.85 billion.
DCI in a statement, disclosed that the suspects were working in cahoots with 2 security guards from a renowned security firm, a Congolese, and 4 Kenyans.
"The DCI Operations Support Unit (OSU) has arrested several suspects involved in a mega gold scam that targeted two Malaysian nationals, and recovered multiple tools of trade involved in the Ksh2.85 billion botched fraudulence," read part of the statement.
