Kenyan police have arrested eight people they accuse of being involved in a colossal scam which they say involves $439tn (Ksh 66,449,235,000,000,000).
The figure has raised eyebrows as it’s nearly 200 times the total value of US dollars in global circulation.
In a post on social media, the authorities said the suspects had claimed to be transporting cash from Togo to Dubai and needed facilitation from two Dutch citizens.
“DCI’s Operations Support Unit detectives have nabbed eight suspects in a USD 439 trillion mega fraud targeting two foreign businessmen from Netherlands,” reads the post.
During the operation at a warehouse in Nairobi, several boxes stashed with fake US dollars were retrieved.
Also seized from the warehouse were suspected stolen jungle fatigues for APS officers, military boots, customs department reflector jackets, among other items.
According to police reports, the two foreigners from Netherlands were contacted through a WhatsApp call by a number registered in the name ‘Canopy Shield Agencies’. The caller then informed them that their consignment of 40 pallets had been seized and withheld 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 their clearance and smooth entry to Dubai.
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, Kenyan sleuths detectives had got wind of the ongoing and were monitoring the ‘deal’.
A contact person led the two foreigners to the warehouse where the purported consignment was being held.
As the eight suspects got busy around the warehouse convincing their targets to part with the USD 36,000, the police operations team swiftly stormed the premises.
Moses Otieno, Peter Aura, Brian Waweru, John Kalombo, Peter Kisanya, Noah Ouma, Charity Njeri and Mercy Cheptoo were all cornered and led away into police cells.
Police investigations are currently ongoing with the two foreign nationals interviewed by police to shed light on this business deal.
In another twist, many Kenyans have questioned the figure the police have given since it seems to be quite unreal. However, Kenyan authorities said it had been provided by officials in the Netherlands who are yet to comment on the matter.
Additional reporting by BBC News
