Sh45m fake cash seized, man held

Uasin Gishu police boss Johnstone Ipara (centre) with Kapseret Sub County Commander Francis Warui (in blue) and Kiammbaa OCS Zachariah Ateya (third left) inspect fake currencies worth Sh45.8 million that were seized in Annex estate yesterday. One suspect was arrested. [Peter Ochieng, Standard]

A suspect believed to be behind a fake money printing syndicate that has rocked Eldoret for months has been arrested.

According to police, the 34-year-old suspect was seized at Kiambaa in Uasin Gishu County on Monday evening after days of tracking.  

The suspect was found with fake currencies, including dollars, pounds and Kenyan shilling notes worth more than Sh45 million in his house.

Officers, led by Uasin Gishu County Police Commander Johnstone Ipara, also seized money printing machines.

A safe box suspected to have been used to store the fake notes and briefcases used to carry the bills were also recovered in the Monday operation.

Tip-off

Mr Ipara said officers had been trailing the suspect after a tip-off from the public, some who had complained of increased cases of fake currencies in circulation.

He said unsuspecting traders and maize farmers currently selling the produce had fallen victims to the fake money syndicate.

According to Ipara, officers who have been trailing the suspect traced him at a popular club on the Eldoret-Nakuru highway at around 2am on Monday before monitoring his movements and later arresting him.

“He (the suspect) was entertaining himself at the club and after the arrest, he led our officers to his residence. We established his house was the place where the fake money was printed,” Ipara said.

He called on traders and farmers who had fallen victims to the fake money syndicate to report to police stations for officers to commence investigations.

Ipara said the Monday’s arrest was the third targeting fake money printing syndicates recently.

He said police were also hunting suspects behind production of fake driving licences and title deeds.