Police explain presence of GSU at fake gold Kaputei premises

National Police Spokesman Charles Owino.

Police authorities said Tuesday that personnel from the General Service Unit were not guarding the house that had fake gold in Kileleshwa area, Nairobi.

Police spokesman Charles Owino said the personnel were deployed in the area to guard diplomatic envoys living in the same compound.

“The National Police Service wishes to inform the general public that General Service Unit (GSU) officers spotted at Kaputei Gardens where a raid on fake Gold had earlier been conducted, were actually guarding members of Diplomatic corps residing within the court and not the suspects,” said Owino.

He was responding to claims by some leaders that the GSU personnel were guarding the premises.

Kaputei Gardens has more than 50 houses with different tenants.

Detectives from the cybercrime unit are studying CCTV footage confiscated from the house where the fake gold was seized.

They hope the footage will help know those who visited the six-bedroom house and their mission. The house had been turned to offices and had a boardroom and executive office.

Police told the court that detectives are pursuing more suspects who are believed to be at large as well as obtain elimination prints to establish the suspects’ movements.

Sixteen suspects including Jared Otieno are in court over the raid.

Police say they suspect the suspects are engaging in cyber-related crimes within and outside the country hence the country at risk.

The suspects were nabbed in a rented stand-alone house on Kaputei road in Valley Arcade, Nairobi, where fake gold was also discovered.

The consignment bearing Ghanian custom papers was stuffed in metallic boxes and their weight had been altered using cement and mallets.

Eight vehicles belonging to the suspects bearing fake number plates were also seized during the raid.

The officers said the raid was part of a larger operation that is ongoing on the fraudsters operating in the country.

This followed numerous complaints that had been registered with the DCI with many foreigners being conned.

The operation was triggered by a complaint by members of Dubai royal family that was defrauded close to Sh400 million by some of the players in the syndicate.

The complaint and subsequent probe into the matter forced police to raise concerns over rising cases where foreigners are conned of money by Kenyans operating with fake gold bars.

The probe is set to start officially after the complainant or their representative records a statement with the police. Police are in Dubai for the statements

DCI boss George Kinoti urged Embassies and High Commissions to advise their nationals coming in for business.

"The gold scam has now reached alarming levels as unsuspecting foreign nationals are being swindled large amounts of money by fraudsters," he said.

Kinoti said Kenyans and foreign nationals must ensure that they conduct proper due diligence on the person(s) they intend to engage in the gold buying business.

The police boss said foreigners should first contact the Department of Mines and Geology for procedure that pertains to buying and selling of gold and other precious metals.