This archive report was first published on 4 May 2021.
On May 3, 2021, police in Ruiru, Kiambu County, made a significant discovery in a house under construction on the Ruiru-Kiambu Road. The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) officers found Sh362 million in counterfeit currency, hidden in neatly arranged nylon bags, and 150kgs of fake gold.
The suspects, Paulin Francis, 44, Njikam Omar, 37, and Jacob Kentong, 31, all Cameroonian nationals, were apprehended at the scene and taken to Ruiru Police Station for further investigation. According to Ruiru DCI boss, Justus Ombati, the suspects are believed to have been using the fake money to purchase goods, with the intention of receiving legitimate currency in return.
Police also recovered a dollar photocopying machine, passports, and liquid substances for further examination. This is not the first time police in the area have encountered a large-scale fake currency operation. In 2019, a similar case was uncovered, where tens of millions of shillings in fake currency were recovered from a group allegedly using the money in a con scheme.
