Thirteen suspects, including three armed police officers, have been arrested in connection with a fake gold and counterfeit currency syndicate in Nairobi. The arrests were made by a joint team from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, the Kenya Airports Police Unit, and Makadara detectives. The operation was triggered after a US national was lured to the country under the pretence of a lucrative gold deal.
The syndicate's operations unravelled when their highly suspicious movements alerted undercover teams, leading to a tracking operation that moved from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport down to a hideout behind a market near Vision Plaza along Mombasa Road. The suspects, including four foreign nationals from Canada, Nigeria, Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, were caught in a dragnet.
Among the suspects caught were three Administration Police officers attached to the Security of Government Buildings unit who were providing armed tactical cover for the syndicate. The officers, armed with two Beretta pistols and a Chalbi pistol, had driven high-end vehicles fitted with deceptive government stickers mimicking authorization from Parliament and the Office of the President to JKIA.
During the raid, detectives seized an extensive cache of criminal infrastructure, including 31 packages containing 750,000 USD in fake currency, equivalent to approximately Ksh 100 million. They also recovered fraudulent Kenya Revenue Authority stickers, metallic boxes, and a safe box loaded with 65 bars purported to be pure gold.
The team also recovered plastic seals, strapping rolls, custom reflectors, bags of cement used to simulate shipping weight, and assorted chemicals engineered to manufacture false currency. The network featured a heavily international footprint, with the 13 arrested individuals including four foreign nationals.
The operation was a significant blow to the syndicate, which had been operating undetected for some time. The Directorate of Criminal Investigations and other agencies involved in the operation are expected to continue investigating the syndicate and identifying other individuals involved.
The arrested suspects are currently being held and are expected to face charges related to counterfeiting and fraud. The case is ongoing, and more details are expected to emerge as the investigation continues.
Key points
- 3 police officers were among 13 suspects arrested for a fake gold and counterfeit currency syndicate in Nairobi.
- The syndicate had a significant international footprint, with suspects from Canada, Nigeria, Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
- The operation resulted in the seizure of 750,000 USD in fake currency and 65 bars purported to be pure gold.
