Police investigate Rift Valley politician and traders over fake currency

Part of the fake currency notes that were recently dumped in River Malewa in Naivasha. [PHOTO: Antony Gitonga]

NAKURU COUNTY: Police in Naivasha are investigating a group of influential traders in connection with the printing and supply of fake currency in the lakeside town.

Also under investigation is a senior politician from Rift Valley who is said to be the mastermind behind the cartel.

This came as the officers recovered over Sh250,000 in fake currency in the town in an incident that saw the suspects escape and leave behind the loot.

The fraudsters have been targeting Mpesa outlets and so far at least seven traders have been conned off thousand of shillings in the last one month.

Naivasha OCPD Charles Kortok confirmed that they had recovered the cash and were investigating the origin of the fake currency.

He was however coy on the issue of the suspects involved saying that investigations were at an advanced stage.

"We suspect that the currency is coming from Nakuru but investigations are at an advanced stage and it's a matter of time before we nab those behind this trade," he said on phone.

Kortok called on traders to be cautious when dealing in large quantity of cash and to report any suspicious characters to the police.

But a source privy to the investigations said that the officers were closing in on the traders who were also involved in money laundering.

"This is a well organized cartel that has the backing of a politician but their days are numbered and it's a matter of time before we corner them," he said.

The source said that they were revisiting an incident last year during the height of the campaigns when over Sh5 million in fake currency was dumped in River Malewa.

"We believe that a politician from Rift Valley was involved in discarding the cash in the river after realizing that police were on his trail," said the source.

Over the weekend, drama unfolded at the Naivasha main bus terminus after a group of suspects tried to fleece an Mpesa agent off over Sh30,000.

During the heat of the moment the suspect left behind some of the currency in Sh1,000 notes as members of the public rushed to share the cash only to realize that it was fake.

"The suspects threw the cash in the air leading to a melee and in the process they escaped but we later realized that it was fake currency," said Peter Muchiri a hawker.

Muchiri said that cases of fake currency in the lakeside town had increased with traders being conned on daily basis.