NAIROBI, Kenya — Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have arrested a suspect in a $600,000 (≈KSh 77.76 million) gold fraud targeting an Australian national.
The accused, Duncan Okaka Okonji, was taken into custody on March 24, 2026, for his alleged role in a scam that began in October 2025 while the victim was in Dubai. Investigations indicate that another suspect, Marshall Morrison, who claimed to be an American investor, introduced the victim to Okonji, who promised to facilitate a transaction involving a 590-kilogram gold consignment. The victim was reportedly taken to Tanzania and later to Kenya under the pretense of inspecting mining sites.
On March 25, Okonji was arraigned at Milimani Law Courts on charges of conspiracy to defraud under Section 317 of the Penal Code. He denied the charges and was released on a KSh 5 million bond, or KSh 1 million cash bail with two sureties. The case is set for mention on April 7, 2026.
Separately, DCI conducted an intelligence-led operation in Kitengela on March 23, arresting six suspects—including two Kenya Defence Forces officers—planning a robbery. Officers recovered weapons, mobile phones, military uniforms, and other tools intended for the attack.
DCI reaffirmed its commitment to dismantling transnational fraud syndicates, disrupting organized scams, and recovering criminal proceeds in accordance with the law.
