Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) arrested at least 31 suspects on Tuesday for selling fake gold to two foreigners.
The arrests took place in multiple locations across Nairobi, including Runda, Ridgeways, and the Industrial Area, following a thorough investigation by the DCI.
The suspects allegedly masqueraded as legitimate gold dealers, presenting coated base metals as genuine gold to deceive the victims during several business meetings throughout September 2024.
However, after numerous trips to Kenya and delays in the export process, the victims became wary of the operation and eventually reported the fraud to the DCI.
Investigators at the Operations Support Unit said that the foreigners, who were lured to Kenya on September 4, 2024, by the scammers, were convinced to purchase 35 kilograms of gold through three separate transactions.
However, after making the payments, they were taken on a wild goose chase, and the gold was never delivered.
This prompted a swift and coordinated response from the DCI Operations Directorate, which, supported by the Operations Support Unit, executed raids on identified locations, resulting in a substantial seizure of evidence.
One of the suspects’ office was decorated with what appears to be gold-adorned walls, a beverage jar that looks golden, and even flags, a Kenyan flag and an East African community flag adding to the veneer of legitimacy to the scam.
Among the exhibits recovered was a Subaru vehicle, complete with a siren, reportedly used to escort unsuspecting clients from the airport, only for them to later become victims of the scam.
Also seized were crucial tools such as spray paint and padlocks used to create the fake gold.
Police also recovered four motor vehicles, metal boxes containing fake gold nuggets and bars, counterfeit stamps, and other paraphernalia, all of which are now secured as exhibits.
Among the arrested suspects is Nashon Otieno Angudha, alleged to be the ringleader of the fraud syndicate. Angudha has a troubling criminal history, with two existing cases in court for similar offenses.
One case, scheduled for mention at the Milimani Law Courts, centers around conspiracy to defraud under section 317 of the penal code.
Another, involving charges of robbery with violence, stems from an incident where victims of a related gold scam were attacked, robbed, and sexually assaulted.
