Three police officers among 14 arrested in fake currency, gold scam raid

Detectives based at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) have arrested 14 suspects, among them three police officers and foreign nationals in an investigation into fake currency and gold scams.

The arrests were made on Thursday following a raid on a warehouse behind Vision Plaza on Mombasa Road, Nairobi, after a complaint by US national Alkhalifi Ibrahim Hassan.

The complaint prompted the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) detectives to swing into action, leading them to the warehouse where the suspected syndicate was operating.

The three officers are attached to the Security of Government Buildings (SGB) at Uhuru Camp. Their arrest has raised concerns about the involvement of serving officers in organised crime, while the foreigners are a Nigerian, a Cameroonian and a Sudanese.

According to the DCI, two of the arrested officers were armed with Beretta pistols while their alleged accomplice carried a Chalbi pistol at the time of the raid. The officers are accused of using their positions and access to provide security for a group that was expecting a US national at Jomo Kenyatta.

The presence of the officers, investigators believe, was meant to lend legitimacy to the suspected criminal operation. During the search, detectives recovered 31 sealed black pallets. Further scrutiny established that three of the pallets contained 156 bundles of US$100 notes suspected to be counterfeit, while the remaining pallets contained cement.

The discovery suggested that the suspects had packed the pallets in a manner designed to deceive anyone inspecting the consignment.

Detectives also recovered a plastic box containing 65 pieces of gold bars suspected to be fake, assorted chemicals believed to have been intended for the manufacture of counterfeit currency, and papers printed with US dollar notes.

The chemicals and printed papers, according to the DCI, are key exhibits in the ongoing probe. Other exhibits recovered included a black bag containing 13 additional bundles of suspected counterfeit US$100 notes, assorted aluminium seals, seven cartons of UN blue plastic seals, two Kenya Revenue Authority reflector jackets, two empty suitcases, a green pallet-strapping roll, a padlock cutter and a hacksaw.

The assortment of items, detectives said, pointed to a well-organised syndicate involved in both fake currency and fake gold. The DCI said the scene was processed and the exhibits secured as investigations continue to establish the circumstances surrounding the suspected counterfeit currency operation and the identities and respective roles of those involved.

The suspects are currently in police custody and are assisting detectives with ongoing investigations. Reports indicate the 14 suspects were detained for 14 days to allow completion of the inquiry.

The recovered items were catalogued and secured at the scene as detectives documented the warehouse. The DCI said the exhibits will be subjected to further analysis, including forensic examination of the suspected counterfeit notes, the fake gold bars and the chemicals. Investigators are also seeking to establish whether the warehouse has been used for similar activities in the past.

The DCI has maintained that appropriate legal action will follow upon completion of the investigation, with the suspects expected to be arraigned. The operation has heightened concerns over the involvement of serving officers in organised crime, with the DCI saying it is determined to dismantle the syndicate and bring all those involved to book. Investigations are ongoing.