NAIROBI, Kenya – Detectives from Kenya’s Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have arrested four individuals linked to a gold scam operation believed to have defrauded foreign investors of thousands of dollars.
In a statement released on Monday, July 28, the DCI revealed that the arrests were made by officers from the Operation Support Unit (OSU) following a raid at a residence on Whispers Avenue in Gigiri, Nairobi.
The suspects — Patroba Odhiambo Tobias, Isaac Forkay Sleyon, Omong Ekoume Louis, and Wadja Bangsi Tang — are accused of orchestrating elaborate scams involving fake gold transactions.
During the raid, detectives recovered:
A gold smelting machine
Rubber stamps labeled with company names such as Alaska Express Freight Group Limited, Longcrane Logistics Limited, and Kakan Traders and Company
Several plastic seals
A gold weighing scale
Documents stamped with forged East African Community insignias
Preliminary investigations have tied Alaska Express Freight Group Limited to a recent case involving two Canadian nationals, who were defrauded of USD 37,500 (approximately Ksh 4.8 million) through a fake gold deal.
The suspects are currently in custody and are undergoing processing before being arraigned in court.
This operation follows a previous arrest of Tim Orao Shikalo, who was implicated in a USD 265,200 (Ksh 38 million) gold scam targeting a foreign investor. That case involved fraudulent contracts for over 1,080 kilograms of gold, with promises of secure delivery and falsified legal assurances.
The DCI continues to warn potential investors to conduct thorough due diligence before engaging in precious metals trade in Kenya, especially when approached by unknown entities.
