Four Suspects Arrested Over USD 100,000 Gold Scam Involving Niger Businessman
Four individuals suspected of being involved in a USD 100,000 gold scam were arrested on December 11 and subsequently arraigned in court. They face charges of conspiracy to defraud and forgery.
The case, investigated by the DCI’s Operation Support Unit, involves Susan Wanjeri Kogi, Elvis Muga Ouma, Nazlin Karim Rahimbux, and Hubbard Kanyago Ndong’o. The suspects allegedly conspired to defraud a Niger businessman while pretending to be Customs officials based in Nairobi.
According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the accused are connected to a broader international scam involving a Dubai-based businessman. The victim, originally scammed out of USD 5 million, was promised 100 kilograms of gold from Mali. The fraudsters, based in Mali, coordinated with their Kenyan counterparts, who subsequently demanded an additional USD 100,000 to facilitate the release of the gold consignment from Nairobi’s customs.
The victim was told that the gold had been confiscated by customs officials in Nairobi. In a further act of deceit, the scammers in Mali instructed their Kenyan accomplices to issue an invoice from DARDESSA Logistics Limited, a fake company, falsely claiming to hold the gold. The victim, trusting the scammers, paid the USD 100,000, after which he received a receipt confirmation from one of the accused, Susan Wanjeri.
When the businessman arrived in Kenya to meet the alleged agents, the scammers attempted to extort even more money from him. Suspicious, the victim reported the fraud to authorities.
DCI detectives launched an intelligence-led operation and arrested the suspects in various locations across Nairobi. The accused have been released on Ksh 200,000 bond, and the case is scheduled for mention on January 21, 2025.