A Congolese man who allegedly received Sh151 million to export tantalum niobium to China and instead sent a heap of soil was on Thursday arrested in Nairobi.
Authorities reported that part of the purported minerals, which later turned out to be fake, was seized at the Mombasa port on January 30, 2024.
According to police sources, the prime suspect was apprehended at the parking lot of a government office, where he had sought assistance to unfreeze funds that were locked in his bank account. The suspect had arrived in Kenya on Thursday, April 4, via Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, having boarded a flight from Entebbe, Uganda, and utilized a Ugandan Interstate pass for entry.
Interestingly, police records revealed that a stop order had been placed on the suspect’s passport by the Department of Immigration on January 30. However, upon his arrest, he was found in possession of another Congolese passport.
Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) announced plans to arraign the suspect on Friday, as they continue to investigate individuals suspected of aiding the foreigner in evading justice.
The investigation was initiated after a Chinese businessman reported receiving soil instead of the expected tantalum minerals, for which he had deposited Sh151 million. Subsequently, two containers declared as containing tantalum minerals from Congo were intercepted at the Mombasa port. Upon inspection, they were found to be filled with soil instead of the rare minerals.
Further scrutiny by the Operations Support Unit of the DCI revealed that the scam bore similarities to fake gold schemes previously uncovered in Nairobi. Authorities have been cautioning foreigners against falling victim to such fraudulent schemes and advised them to seek assistance from their respective embassies in Nairobi.
The recent arrest highlights the continued efforts by law enforcement agencies to crack down on economic crimes and protect unsuspecting individuals from falling prey to scams targeting valuable minerals.
