This archive report was first published on 26 September 2019.
Published on September 26, 2019, detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) raided Plan 254 club in Kilimani, Nairobi, and found fake US dollars and gold bars.
During the raid, the sleuths seized US$ 1 million notes and 147 gold bars. Steve Oduk, a flamboyant businessman known for living large and spending money without a care in the world, is set to be arraigned in court on Thursday.
Two years ago, Oduk organised a Ksh 2.5 million baby shower for his girlfriend Aeedah Bambi, which was attended by over 200 guests, including radio and television presenters, businessmen, political aspirants, musicians and those in showbiz circles.
However, this is not the first time Oduk, also known as Lucas Mbadi, has been arrested over fake dollars. In May, he was among those nabbed by detectives, and at the time, he did not have a national ID and gave his name as Stephen Mark.
Earlier, in October 2013, Oduk was among a gang of six arrested for kidnapping two children of Indian origin before demanding Ksh 86 million from the family that runs a chain of hotels in East Africa.
They were later arrested in Matasia, Ngong, where they were hiding the girls and arraigned in court. The six and two others were released on a personal cash bail of Ksh 1 million or an alternative cash bail of Ksh 2 million.
Oduk has a permanent corner at Plan 254, which he owns.
Cases of fake gold and currency syndicates are not new in the country. Early this month, DCI detectives seized fake US dollars, Euros and Pounds worth Ksh 200 million and arrested Bobby Kariuki, 27.
Conning unsuspecting foreigners is a common tactic used by these syndicates. In one of the most high-profile cases, the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum, lost Ksh 400 million to a Kenyan fake gold syndicate that allegedly had the support of high-profile personalities.
