Detectives are holding four suspects in connection with a fake gold syndicate involving a foreign couple.
According to police, Jack Ouma Okwiri, Nashon Otieno Angudha, Felix Ochieng’ Nyongesa were arrested in an operation at The Social House Nairobi Hotel in Lavington, while the fourth suspect Ronald Arani Kirera was nabbed at an office setup building in Runda Glory Valley no. 685.
The four are accused of attacking and robbing the couple over 13.5 million shillings in a fake gold decoy to Nairobi’s Runda area and are set to face robbery with violence, attempted rape and kidnapping charges.
The Australian man and his Ugandan wife are said to have been lured into the country from Uganda by their to-be attackers, for a gold business deal in Nairobi in well orchestrated syndicate. A contact person who identified himself as ‘Raymond from England’ had days earlier connected the couple with Felix Ochieng Nyongesa, who posed as the seller.
After a series of whatsapp conversations, Felix is said to have asked the couple to meet him at Village Market in Gigiri, Nairobi on Oct 28, where they were to do the business. Once at the agreed venue, Felix then sent a driver who picked them in a Toyota Prado and drove them to the office setting building along Glory Rd in Runda, where more than 10 men lay in wait.
On arrival the two foreigners are said to have been roughed up and subdued. Eventually, the $60,000 the couple had carried in cash was robbed off, including other jewelleries valued at over $30,000.
Scared, badly injured and writhing in agonizing pain, the couple was hurled back in the Prado and dumped at Rehema Hse within the CBD. Good Samaritans helped them to a South B hospital where they were treated before reporting to DCI Gigiri.
It was then that an operation by detectives targeting the suspects was launched placing the arrested four at the scene of crime.
Their apprehension came along with the recovery of money counting machines, metallic boxes, forged certificates of mines, customs reflector jackets, military boots, KRA certificates, stamps, a Kenyan flag and fake golden metal bars all confiscated at their Runda office.
Their arrest comes in the wake of an upsurge in gold scams in the country.
