Three foreign nationals have been charged after they were allegedly found in possession of emeralds valued at approximately Ksh19 million without the required documentation and mining licences.
In a statement on Friday, July 3, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said the arrests followed investigations by detectives from the Anti-Illegal Mining and Smuggling Investigations (AIMSI) unit.
"Detectives from the Anti-Illegal Mining and Smuggling Investigations (AIMSI) have arraigned three foreign nationals over unauthorised possession of emeralds valued at approximately Ksh19,000,000," the statement read.
The investigative agency further revealed the identities of the suspects and the circumstances surrounding their arrest.
"On June 30, 2026, Milton Ivan Espana Diaz from the United States, Luis Carlos Garcia Ayala from Colombia, and Manuel De Jesus Arevalo Rodriguez from Mexico were arrested with raw emerald weighing 74 grams," the statement added
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According to investigators, the three were unable to provide the necessary documentation relating to the gemstones or authorisation to trade in minerals.
"Preliminary investigations revealed that these individuals lacked proper documentation regarding the origins of the minerals in question, as well as a mineral dealer's or trading license from the State Department for Mining," the statement further read.
The DCI said the suspects were subsequently presented before the Chief Magistrate's Court in Kibera to answer charges related to the alleged offences.
"Appearing before the Chief Magistrate’s Court in Kibera, the three faced two counts: dealing with minerals without a valid dealer's license and unauthorised possession of precious minerals," the statement noted.
The DCI added that all three denied the charges during their arraignment.
"They pleaded not guilty to the charges and were admitted to a bond of Ksh500,000 with surety of a similar amount, alternatively to cash bail of Ksh200,000 with one contact person," the statement concluded.
In addition to the bond terms, the court ordered that the three accused deposit their passports in court as the criminal proceedings continue.
Meanwhile, DCI has secured the conviction of the mastermind behind a fraudulent tantalum minerals scheme that defrauded a Chinese investor of Ksh151 million.
In a statement on Thursday, July 2, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) said the conviction was delivered at the Milimani Law Courts, where the accused was found guilty of obtaining money by false pretences in a case involving fake mineral consignments.
"In a judgment delivered at the Milimani Law Courts, Lumumba Ulundu Patrick, a Congolese national, also known as Gabriel Kulonda and Lumumba Patrick, was convicted of obtaining money by false pretences contrary to Section 313 of the Penal Code," the statement read.
According to the ODPP, the court also imposed a sentence and ordered compensation for the victim who lost millions in the fraudulent scheme.
"The court sentenced him to three years' imprisonment or, in the alternative, pay a fine of Ksh10 million. The court also ordered him to refund the victim the Ksh151 million lost through the fraud," the statement added.
The prosecution explained how the scheme was carried out, stating that the accused misrepresented ordinary materials as valuable minerals.
"Prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt that Lumumba orchestrated an elaborate scheme in which containers filled with sand were falsely presented as consignments of tantalum, a high-value mineral widely used in the manufacture of electronic components," the statement further read.
According to the evidence presented, the fraud was uncovered after one of the shipments was inspected abroad.
"The fraud came to light after one of the containers was opened overseas and discovered to contain drums of sand instead of the declared mineral, resulting in substantial financial losses to the investor," the statement noted.
The ODPP further revealed details surrounding the suspect's arrest and how investigators tracked him down.
"Evidence presented in court further showed that Lumumba was arrested by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations' (DCI) Operations Support Unit (OSU) on 5th April 2024, shortly after arriving in Nairobi from Entebbe, Uganda," the statement indicated.
The ODPP also said the accused had allegedly tried to evade detection despite restrictions placed on his travel documents.
"Investigations established that he had attempted to re-enter the country using alternative identification documents and multiple aliases despite a stop order having been placed on one of his travel documents," the statement concluded.
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