Nairobi — Eight suspects involved in a land fraud syndicate at the Ministry of Lands have been arrested following a multi-agency crackdown that began on March 28.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) says those arrested include an assistant security officer at the Ministry of Lands - Survey of Kenya and a printer at the Government Press.

"Upon raiding their premises, authorities recovered an assortment of land-related documents, including dozens of title deeds, numerous blank allotment letters, 287 various stamps, 11 unused green cards, certificates of title, and an array of forged transfer documents," the DCI stated.

The investigative agency suspects the eight have been issuing and using forged title deeds to illegally take ownership of properties.

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The agency, led by Amin Mohammed, opened investigations after numerous reports from landowners who discovered individuals erecting structures on their land using fake documents.

"The suspects have already been arraigned before the Milimani Law Courts, where detectives have been granted additional time to complete investigations and pursue leads on other individuals linked to the fraud network," the DCI stated.

The investigative agency expressed concerns that the involvement of individuals from different sectors raises questions about the integrity of operations at the Ministry of Lands.

"The crackdown is seen as a crucial step in safeguarding property rights and restoring public trust in the land administration systems," the DCI noted.