Kenyans were on Wednesday shocked after the DCI released a statement saying they had arrested eight in a USD 439 trillion mega fraud.
The suspect arrested include Moses Otieno, Peter Aura, Brian Waweru, John Kalombo, Peter Kisanya, Noah Ouma, Charity Njeri and Mercy Cheptoo.
However Kenyans questioned if the DCI had the correct figure with some saying the figure might have been an error.
One X user by the handle Hitler asked whether the DCI admin had the math right considering the US GDP is lower than the amount in question.
Hitler asked “Admin uko sawa na hesabu kweli kwa sababu ata the united states GDP ni USD 29 trillion,”
“H!tler hiyo hesabu ilikuja na Waholanzi. Ata sisi tuko tu hapa tunashtuka. After interrogations tuta-update any developments 👍,” the DCI responded
In their statement, the DCI said the Operations Support Unit detectives nabbed eight suspects in a USD 439 trillion mega fraud targeting two foreign businessmen from Netherlands.
They further said in the ongoing operation at a warehouse located in Nairobi,several boxes stashed with fake US dollars, suspected stolen jungle fatigues for APS officers, military boots, customs reflector jackets among other recoveries have also being seized.
According to DCI, in this orchestrated fraudulent scheme, the foreigners were contacted through aWhatsApp call by a number registered in the name ‘Canopy Shield Agencies’, by a caller who informed them that their consignment of 40 pallets had been held at the Kenya Customs Warehouse pending duty fee payment of USD 36,000.
Allegedly, the complainants had entered into a cash on transit deal involving USD 439 trillion destined for Dubai from the Central Bank of Togo.
The caller who posed as a customs officer convinced the complainants that the first batch of 40 pallets contained USD 4 billion and that they were being flown through Kenya to facilitate
Booking a flight to the country, the foreign nationals landed at the Jomo Kenyatta Intn’l Airport (JKIA) hoping to clear the required duty fee at once.
Unbeknownst to the fraudsters that detectives had got wind of the ongoingscontact person led the two foreigners at the warehouse where the purported consignment was being held.
The suspects will be arraigned in court today.