Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), working together with police officers from Meru, have arrested suspects in a cyber fraud syndicate.
According to the DCI, the three suspects were involved in hacking into emails, swapping SIM cards, and bleeding Kenyans’ bank accounts dry.
Following the leads provided by the forensic team, the detectives arrested the suspects at their hideout in Meru.
“A team of detectives drawn from DCI Headquarters, in collaboration with their Meru-based counterparts, has dismantled a notorious three-man cyber fraud syndicate that has been hacking into emails, swapping SIM cards and bleeding Kenyans’ bank accounts dry,” part of the statement dated April 15 from the DCI read.
According to the DCI report, the suspects arrested were identified as Zachaous Cheriot, Ambrore Kibet, and Silas Rono.
The three suspects are currently in custody, undergoing processing pending arraignment, as the Directorate of Criminal Investigations remains relentless in the pursuit of digital mercenaries.
Items Recovered from the Crime Scene by the DCI
During the search of the scene by the detectives, tools that facilitated the syndicate’s underground trade were recovered as evidence.
Among the items were eight assorted mobile phones, thirty-nine SIM Cards, forty-two SIM Card Plates, and a Laptop.
Also Read: When Cybercrime Tools Are Legal Under Kenya’s Law
Recent SIM Swap Crimes
In early April, a cyber fraud suspect in Igembe North Meru, Morris Kithinji Tirimiti, who had a prior 12-year prison record, was linked by the DCI to suspicious digital activities and possible online fraud.
During his arrest, the suspect was in possession of six mobile phones and thirty-nine SIM cards.
Out of the 39 SIM cards recovered during the arrest, 33 of the cards were Safaricom, and six were Airtel.
In a different case, in late March, a mother and son were also arrested and charged with fraudulently swapping the Safaricom line of a Kenyan aid worker in Ethiopia.
According to a report by the Daily Nation, the two were alleged to have accessed the Kenyan aid worker Amos Kipruto Chemonges’ Absa Bank account, taken unauthorized loans, and transferred around KSh1.26–4.5 million via M-Pesa.
During investigations, the funds were traced to the son’s number and the mother’s M-Pesa agent account.
In the same month, Albert Komen Kipkechem was charged with unauthorized access to Eclectics International’s systems, resulting in a KSh52.5 million loss and over KSh100 million in financial institution attacks.
Also Read: CA to Launch Tool Helping Kenyans Detect SIM Cards Registered with IDs Without Consent
SIM Swap Statistics
According to Safaricom data, 2025 SIM swap investigations surged 327%, with 47 cases in 2025 compared with the 11 SIM swap cases in 2024.
Mobile banking fraud rose sharply, driven by SIM swaps, phishing, and social engineering, with Kenyans facing increased cyber threats in 2025 and making losses in tens of billions annually.
Authorities have urged the public to use app-based two-factor authentication, monitor their accounts, and report suspicious activity promptly.
