Police have arrested 11 individuals accused of defrauding a foreign national of KSh 68 million in a fake gold deal conducted in Spring Valley, Nairobi. According to Nairobi Regional Police Commander George Sedah, the suspects were apprehended on Tuesday night during a raid at a residence in Spring Valley, where several kilogrammes of counterfeit gold bars were also recovered.
Sedah reported that the victim had lodged a complaint alleging he was conned out of USD 546,000 by a group that claimed to possess over 100 kilogrammes of gold. After making several visits to the premises in pursuit of the gold, the foreigner realised he had been duped.
The arrested suspects have been identified as Allan Zephaniah Onyango (Kenyan), Nicodemus Okoth (Kenyan), Nfundiko Kamira (Congolese), Phillip Onyango (Kenyan), and Elmad Ochola (Kenyan).
Others include Shem Omollo (Kenyan), Lukabaya Mulamba (Congolese), Ibrahim Nzamgou (Cameroonian), Mike Fouapon (Cameroonian), Innocent Yinga (Ugandan), and James Jeremiah Akumu (Kenyan).
Police recovered a weighing scale, an electronic gold tester (tester gun), various Ministry of Mining documents, a dust coat bearing the Ministry’s logo, an unidentified liquid in a small plastic container, assorted seals, and numerous empty metallic boxes.
This is the latest in a series of recoveries of fake gold resulting from ongoing police operations across the country. Authorities say most individuals implicated in these scams have already been apprehended and charged, with several cases still pending before the courts.
These operations were intensified after numerous foreign nationals reported having fallen victim to such scams in Nairobi.
The capital has increasingly become a hotspot for fraudulent gold deals, prompting law enforcement to intervene. Reports indicate a growing number of complaints from foreigners alleging they were deceived by individuals posing as legitimate gold dealers.
To curb the vice, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has urged foreign embassies and high commissions to advise their nationals conducting business in Kenya to follow proper procedures.
“We urge embassies (high commissions) to inform their nationals travelling to Kenya for business to familiarise themselves with the ongoing gold-related scams and first consult the Department of Mines and Geology to understand the correct procedures for trading in gold and other precious minerals,” the DCI advised.
The Directorate also extended similar caution to Kenyan nationals involved in the gold trade, urging them to carry out thorough due diligence to ensure they are not dealing with fraudsters.
“The gold scam has reached alarming levels, with unsuspecting foreign nationals being swindled out of significant sums of money by fraudsters,” the DCI warned.
Among the active court cases is that of suspected gold scammer Jean Emmanuel Morlon, alias Lamarca J. Benjamin, who was charged at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) Law Courts.
Morlon is accused of orchestrating a scheme that defrauded a Romanian and a Swiss businessman of USD 120,000. The victims claimed a contact person introduced them to Morlon, who purportedly had 550kg of gold for sale.
He has been charged with obtaining money by false pretences, illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition, creating a false document, and forgery of an official document.
Morlon, allegedly the CEO of AFREX Bridge Connections Ltd, was arrested alongside Samson Kibet Sirkoi, Lucy Gitonga, Rose Kambua, and Justine Adhiambo.
During the arrest, detectives also recovered two pistols, 96 rounds of ammunition, 14 smoke grenades, a bulletproof vest, and a pair of handcuffs, among other items.
