Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have seized over 5,000 SIM cards and 142 identity cards in a major M-PESA fraud crackdown in Mumias, Kakamega County.

DCI, in a statement shared via social media on Friday, September 26, said that during an intelligence-led operation conducted in Bomani Teachers’ estate, two individuals, namely Jonathan Ambwaya Kwini, 30, and his 23-year-old accomplice, Timothy Siloche Wesonga, were arrested and taken into custody.

“In a move to curb the rise of financial crime, law enforcement officers in Mumias East have arrested two key suspects involved in a series of M-Pesa fraud schemes in the area. The fraudsters, 30-year-old Jonathan Ambwaya Kwini and his 23-year-old accomplice Timothy Siloche Wesonga, were taken into custody during an intelligence-led operation in Bomani Teachers’ Estate of Mumias town,” DCI stated.

According to the police, a Safaricom Mobicom phone, utilised for the registration of SIM cards, along with an array of devices – four small Itel phones, 70 Airtel SIM cards, 24 Telkom SIM cards, and over 5,000 Safaricom SIM cards – were among the recovered items.

“Acting on crucial tips, officers descended on the location where they made a significant recovery. Among the seized items were a Safaricom Mobicom phone, utilised for the registration of SIM cards, along with an array of devices: four Itel small phones, 70 Airtel SIM cards, 24 Telkom SIM cards, and over 5,000 Safaricom SIM cards. The haul also included 142 national ID cards belonging to various individuals, painting a picture of the suspects’ extensive operation,” the DCI statement read.

Both Kwini and Wesonga have since been escorted, along with the incriminating evidence, to Kakamega police station and are set to join a roster of other suspects and are scheduled to appear in court on Monday.