Detectives from the Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have arrested eight suspects in connection with a USD 439 trillion mega fraud targeting two foreign businessmen from the Netherlands.
In a statement on Wednesday night, several boxes stashed with fake US dollars, suspected stolen jungle fatigues for APS officers, military boots, and customs reflector jackets were seized during the raid at a Nairobi warehouse.
"In this orchestrated fraudulent scheme, the foreigners were contacted through a WhatsApp call by a number registered in the name 'Canopy Shield Agencies', by a caller who informed them that their consignment of 40 pallets had been held at the Kenya Customs Warehouse pending duty fee payment of USD 36,000," DCI said in a statement.
The two foreign nationals landed at the Jomo Kenyatta Intn'l Airport (JKIA) hoping to clear the required duty fee at once following the call.
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"Allegedly, the complainants had entered into a cash-on-transit deal involving USD 439 trillion destined for Dubai from the Central Bank of Togo. The caller who posed as a customs officer convinced the complainants that the first batch of 40 pallets contained USD 4 billion and that they were being flown through Kenya to facilitate their clearance and smooth entry to Dubai," DCI said.
Unknown to the fraudsters, detectives got wind of the ongoings, and a contact person led the two foreigners to the warehouse where the purported consignment was being held.
As the eight suspects got busy around the warehouse convincing their targets to part with the USD 36,000, the operations team stormed the premises.
The eight suspects include; Moses Otieno, Peter Aura, Brian Waweru, John Kalombo, Peter Kisanya, Noah Ouma, Charity Njeri, and Mercy Cheptoo.
