Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have arrested three suspects in connection with running a counterfeit money syndicate operating across the Coast region.
In a statement on Sunday, November 30, DCI said the trio was arrested following forensic leads to a secret hideout in Diani.
“A covert police operation in Diani has led to the arrest of three suspects involved in a counterfeiting ring that has been flooding Mombasa and nearby areas with fake cash.
“The suspects, Fadhili Lawrence, Atemba Lawrence, and Electrine Okwako, were apprehended after police followed forensic leads to a secret hideout in Diani, where the illegal trade was reported to thrive,” read the DCI statement in part.
During the raid, the DCI detectives found KSh 1.7 million in counterfeit money in the hideout.
The fake KSh1,000 notes were hidden in a laptop bag with a white ribbon labelled “CBK 1000,” a misleading detail meant to suggest authenticity.
Preliminary investigations show that the three suspects are key cogs in a broader criminal network believed to be distributing fake cash along the coast.
The three suspects are currently in custody, being processed before their court appearance, as officers continue the search for other members of the syndicate who are still at large.
This comes months after DCI detectives arrested two women in possession of counterfeit US dollars, worth over Ksh70 million.
Acting on solid intelligence, detectives conducted a well-coordinated operation in Upper Hill where they arrested the female suspects, Ifrah Ali Jeyte and Qamar Salat Abdi.
A swift search revealed numerous bundles of 100 USD denomination notes cleverly concealed in a handbag.
The magnitude of their operation became evident when officers conducted a count of the counterfeit currency at DCI Nairobi Area Headquarters, uncovering a total of USD 560,000, equivalent to approximately Ksh 70 million.
