Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) intercepted two containers filled with fake products at the port of Mombasa that were set for shipping to China.
According to DCI, the containers were said to have been filled with tantalum minerals from Congo. However, upon inspection, one of the containers was found to have been filled with sand.
The officers picked up on the matter when one of the containers he had anticipated arrived and he realised that it was filled with soil. The Chinese was expecting three containers ot minerals from the said Kenyans.
Further, the detectives revealed that a Chinese businessman had already paid some Kenyans Ksh151 million for the shipment.
Also Read: Conman Arrested in Nairobi Restaurant with Ksh 1.5M Cash
DCI on the Conmen
DCI officers revealed that the scam could be linked to fake gold scammers who used to operate in the Kilimani area.
Additionally, the sleuths indicated that the conmen, who had earlier been operating through the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, had changed tactics and were now using the port of Mombasa.
According to the detectives, the cons were being operated in conjunction with officers from the Kenya Ports Authority and the Kenya Revenue Authority.
One suspect named Lumumba Patrick is said to be working with fake gold scammers in Congo and Uganda.
The officers took samples from the fake minerals and soil that they voted would be tested as investigations into the matter intensified.
Also Read: DCI Warns Kenyans Against New Wash Wash Scams
Kenyans Warned of Cons
Earlier on February 8, DCI warned Kenyans against scammers using cryptocurrency investment platforms to con unsuspecting members of the public.
In a statement, the directorate stated that the cases of this kind of con had rapidly increased in the country.
According to DCI, the scammers send short messages (SMS) that read “Make Money Sitting At Home” to random people, with a link to join the online investment platform.
“Scores are being lured to join online cryptocurrency investment platforms and end up losing their investments to the fraudsters. “Should you have information on anyone using this approach to scam investors, please contact us through the DCI toll-free hotline 0800722203,
“DCI cautions Kenyans and any other person to beware of this scam and advises them to verify the authenticity of any online investment platforms with Capital Markets Authority (CMA) and the Communication Authority (CA) respectively before investing their hard-earned money,” the statement read in part.
