Nairobi — Detectives have successfully apprehended four suspects linked to the heinous attack and robbery of a foreign couple, who fell victim to a counterfeit gold scam in Nairobi's Runda area on October 28.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Jack Ouma Okwiri, Nashon Otieno Angudha, and Felix Ochieng Nyongesa. These three suspects were taken into custody during a well-executed operation at The Social House Nairobi Hotel in Lavington. Additionally, the fourth suspect, Ronald Arani Kirera, was arrested at an office establishment located in Runda Glory Valley, bearing number 685.
According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the suspects successfully lured an Australian national and his Ugandan wife into the country from Uganda before orchestrating a meticulously planned robbery.
"A contact person who identified himself as 'Raymond from England' had, in the days leading up to the incident, connected the couple with Felix Ochieng Nyongesa, who portrayed himself as the seller," stated the DCI on Thursday.
Following several WhatsApp conversations, Ochieng instructed the couple to meet him at the Village Market in Gigiri, Nairobi on October 28, where the fraudulent transaction was supposed to take place.
Upon arrival at the designated meeting point, detectives revealed that Ochieng dispatched a driver to pick them up in a Toyota Prado, subsequently driving them to an office building along Glory Road in Runda. There, they encountered over 10 individuals waiting to execute the premeditated crime.
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"Upon reaching their trap, the suspects rapidly transitioned from the initial VIP treatment to a violent assault that left the victims incapacitated. The male victim suffered severe beatings and strangulation, while his wife pleaded for their lives. Regrettably, she did not escape unscathed as the gang handcuffed and subjected her to physical abuse," the DCI reported.
The suspects then proceeded to rob the couple of $60,000 in cash and jewelry, estimated to be worth over $30,000. Following the robbery, the victims were forced back into the Prado and abandoned at Rehema House within the Central Business District (CBD).
Good Samaritans eventually came to the victims' aid, transporting them to a hospital in South B, where they received medical attention. Subsequently, the couple reported the incident to the DCI Gigiri.
In the wake of the suspects' apprehension, detectives conducted a search and recovered various items, including money counting machines, metal boxes, counterfeit mining certificates, customs reflector jackets, military boots, KRA certificates, stamps, a Kenyan flag, and imitation gold bars, all of which were confiscated at the suspects' Runda office.
The DCI has issued a warning to the business community, urging caution when engaging in gold trade in the country, which has witnessed an alarming rise in fraudulent activities.
"As further investigations continue, the DCI warns of an upsurge in gold scams and similar frauds, cautioning venturing parties of the existence of well-organized criminal rings that are yet to be repressed," the DCI stated.
