This archive report was first published on 26 September 2019.
On Wednesday night, police from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations stormed the Plan 254 Club in Kilimani, Nairobi, and made a significant seizure.
According to reports, the officers found fake US dollars worth $1 million and 147 fake gold bars inside the club.
The owner of the club, Steve Oduk, was arrested during the operation, which was prompted by a tip-off from a foreigner who had been asked to purchase part of the gold bars.
Director of Criminal Investigations George Kinoti has renewed his call for foreigners seeking to buy gold in Kenya to seek authorities' advice, citing a rise in cases of unsuspecting foreign nationals being swindled by fraudsters.
"The gold scam has now reached alarming levels as unsuspecting foreign nationals are being swindled large amounts of money by fraudsters," Kinoti said.
Police have arrested over 50 suspects in the past four months for dealing in fake gold, with most of those in court obtaining money from unsuspecting buyers after posing as possible sellers.
The seized fake gold bars and US dollars are believed to have been used to commit crimes, and police are urging the public to conduct proper due diligence when engaging in the gold buying business.
Police are expected to take the suspect, Steve Oduk, to court on Friday.
