Two Elusive Gold Scammers Arrested by DCI

Two elusive gold scammers have finally been arrested by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).

DCI in a statement shared via X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, August 14, 2025, said that two have been slipping through the police dragnet for a long time.

The two, Benson Gembe Odero and Emmulate Adhiambo Othumo, were arrested by detectives from the Operation Support Unit (OSU).

They are said to be the masterminds behind a multi-million-shilling gold scam targeting foreign investors.

“After months on the run, two gold scammers who have been slipping through the police dragnet have finally been brought to book. Detectives from the Operation Support Unit (OSU) have arrested Benson Gembe Odero and Emmulate Adhiambo Othuno, the masterminds behind a multi-million-shilling gold scam targeting foreign investors,” the DCI stated.

The case traces back to September 2024, when two investors from Dubai lodged a complaint. Lured by the promise of a lucrative deal to purchase 35 kilograms of gold, the investors flew to Kenya after days of negotiations.

On arrival at JKIA, they were chauffeured to a plush Kilimani hotel and introduced to an elaborate network of accomplices, some posing as KRA Customs officers, Ministry of Mining officials, and even licensed private jet operators.

Before they realised they were being conned, the scammers had already fleeced them of USD 54,300.

Following the complaint, detectives mounted an intensive investigation. On November 5, 2024, coordinated raids were carried out in Runda, Ridgeways, and the Industrial Area, where the victims had been taken to “formalise” the bogus deal, where thirty-one suspects were arrested and arraigned.

However, Odero and Othuno managed to stay one step ahead until August 13, 2025, when OSU detectives finally cornered and arrested them in a targeted operation.

The two appeared today, August 14, 2025, before Milimani Law Courts No. 3 for plea taking. They denied the charges, and the case was adjourned to August 18, 2025, for the determination of their bond terms.