This archive report was first published on 22 November 2019.
On Thursday, detectives in Nairobi made a significant breakthrough in the fight against online fraud, recovering a Lexus car linked to the crime.
The vehicle was seized at Parklands while on sale, and it is believed to have been used by a suspect who had been using it alongside a Smart ForTwo car, which is still detained at a Container Freight Station (CFS) in Mombasa.
The suspect, Hesbon Otieno, had been on the wanted list after allegedly hacking the account of a JKUAT lecturer who had ordered a Mercedes Benz from BeForward car Importers.
According to detectives, Otieno changed the specifications of the order to include the Lexus and Smart ForTwo cars, and later cleared the consignment at the port under his name.
He was arrested on Wednesday alongside three other suspects in Mombasa, after the lecturer sent Sh567,000 meant to help him import the vehicle of his choice.
The four pretended to be working for BeForward car Importers, and the lecturer reported the matter to Flying Squad detectives after they asked him to send Sh432,000 as duty fees.
They transferred the money to Motor City Ways in Mombasa and later called the company faking erroneous transfer, requesting the company to refund in cash through a friend, Bonface Okumu, who is also a suspect.
Intelligence trails also led to the arrest of 31-yr-old Eric Onyango.
As the fight against online fraud continues, the suspect is set to be charged accordingly, said the DCI in a statement.
