Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Banking Fraud Unit have arrested two suspects believed to be behind a nationwide Mpesa theft syndicate that targeted mobile money operators across the country.
The suspects were arrested on Thursday evening at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) shortly after arriving from Zambia, where police believe they had gone into hiding following intensified investigations.
According to investigators, the suspects are linked to a series of Mpesa thefts that left multiple victims counting losses in towns including Nairobi, Mombasa, Malindi, Nakuru, Eldoret and Meru.
Police say the suspects were captured on CCTV footage at several crime scenes. In one incident reported at Meru Police Station, surveillance cameras recorded a man and two women entering a mobile money outlet under the pretext of exchanging foreign currency.
The shop owner reported that after a brief interaction, the suspects left the premises. Moments later, the Mpesa attendant realised that more than KSh 40,000 was missing.
Victims allege the suspects used a chemical substance to manipulate attendants into handing over money without force or threats.
“There were people who came in as customers, but they were actually robbers. They said they wanted to exchange dollars,” said Joseph M’Ibaya, one of the victims.
“When they handed over the money, we did not immediately realise what had happened. It was as if something had been sprayed on it, and later we discovered a lot of money was gone.”
Further reports indicate that the suspects employed the same modus operandi across multiple towns, with their activities allegedly continuing for months without arrests.
M’Ibaya said that after sharing CCTV footage online, more victims came forward.
“After we posted the video on TikTok, many people said they had also been victims. When we went to Meru Police Station, we found other complainants there,” he said.
In another CCTV clip, the suspects were seen engaging a wholesale shop attendant before the employee voluntarily handed over cash. Similar footage reportedly shows the suspects carrying out a theft at a bank in Mombasa using the same tactic before calmly walking away.
Following days of investigations, police arrested Ali Samir Abdalla and Ajip Haisam, who are currently being held at Capital Hill Police Station. A manhunt is ongoing for other suspects believed to be part of the syndicate.
DCI has urged members of the public who may have been affected by the group to report to the nearest police station and record statements to aid ongoing investigations.
