Detectives have arrested an Indian national at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) over an alleged gold investment fraud involving more than KSh172 million.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) identified the suspect as Maheshbhai Rameshbhai Bhadra, who was arrested moments after arriving in Nairobi from Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
In a statement issued on Friday, November 13, DCI said the arrest followed investigations into a complaint by an investor who accused the suspect of defrauding him of USD 1,325,970 (approximately KSh172.3 million).
“Detectives based at the Nairobi Region Criminal Investigation Office have arrested an Indian national in connection with a gold investment fraud involving USD 1,325,970 (approximately KSh 172.3 million),” DCI said.
“The suspect, Maheshbhai Rameshbhai Bhadra, was intercepted and arrested at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), moments after touching down from Dubai, United Arab Emirates.”
DCI Arrests KSh172 Million Gold Scam Suspect at JKIA After Landing From Dubai
Investigators said the money was sent through an informal Hawala money-transfer arrangement involving agents in Dubai and Kenya.
At the centre of the complaint was a proposed purchase of 210 kilograms of gold. The investor allegedly paid the money after being promised the precious metal, but the transaction never materialised.
“The complainant alleged that the suspect fleeced him of the colossal sum through an informal Hawala money-transfer arrangement involving agents in Dubai and Kenya,” the DCI stated.
According to the DCI, detectives arrested Bhadra at JKIA following a stop order issued by the Milimani Law Courts.
The suspect was taken into custody and was undergoing processing ahead of his arraignment in court.
DCI said the investigation focused on tracing the money transferred through the alleged arrangement and establishing the circumstances surrounding the failed gold transaction.
The agency also reiterated its commitment to investigating financial fraud and pursuing individuals suspected of targeting investors.
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Kenya’s Previous Gold Fraud Cases
The latest arrest adds to a series of gold fraud investigations involving foreign investors and large sums of money in Kenya.
A National Risk Assessment by the Financial Reporting Centre (FRC) reported that detectives investigated 51 suspected gold scam cases between 2019 and 2023. Of these, 19 were forwarded for prosecution.
In February 2026, the DCI reported the arrest of two suspects over an alleged USD217,900 (approximately KSh28 million) gold fraud involving an American investor.
The investor had reportedly been promised 495 kilograms of gold for shipment to Dubai. Detectives said the money moved through company and legal accounts before being transferred overseas.
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In another case in January 2026, detectives investigated an alleged gold fraud involving an American investor who travelled to Kenya to purchase 150 kilograms of gold.
The investor reportedly paid KSh37 million, but tests on metallic bars recovered during a police raid showed the material was brass, not gold.
Earlier, in January 2025, detectives arrested 14 suspects in Nairobi in connection with an alleged USD1.35 million gold fraud involving a purported 2,820-kilogram consignment.
During a raid at premises along Chalbi Drive in Lavington, officers recovered documents, files, stamps and seals suspected to have been used in the scheme.
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