A JKIA court has granted the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) five days to detain 14 suspects being investigated over an alleged money laundering and fraud syndicate involving millions of dollars and suspected fake gold.
The suspects were arrested on September 1, following an intelligence-led operation at a warehouse in Nairobi’s Industrial Area and were subsequently presented before the Chief Magistrate’s Court at JKIA.
Investigating officer Corporal Musa Amakobe asked the court to allow the suspects to be held at JKIA Police Station for five working days, arguing that detectives required additional time to complete what he described as wide-ranging investigations.
According to an affidavit sworn by Amakobe, the investigation followed a complaint lodged by US national Alkhalifi Ibrahim Hassan.
The complainant allegedly shipped 11 pallets of crystal and carving wood, said to be worth USD200 million, to Uganda in 2021 before the consignment was transferred to a bonded warehouse in Kenya.
The court was told that Hassan was subsequently invoiced USD555,710 in processing fees, which he allegedly deposited into an Ecobank Kenya account in Westlands on December 23, 2025.
However, after making the payment, the complainant was unable to recover the goods, prompting investigations into the circumstances surrounding the transaction.
During the early morning operation at the Industrial Area warehouse, detectives recovered four motor vehicles, three boxes containing suspected counterfeit US dollar notes and a plastic box containing 65 bars of suspected fake gold, according to the investigating officer.
The vehicles are listed as registration numbers KDS 689U, KDW 892V, KDS 555M and KDX 345V.
The 14 suspects are Solomom Ndeda, William Kimolo, Erick Honla, alias Patrick Bolingo, Kevin Barasa, Douglas Odira, Raphael Wayaya, Antony Oviera Namani, Sulemanou, Abbas Ibrahim Mohamed, George Kinyanjui, Geoffrey Omondi Juma, Joseph Otenyo Okimba, Felix Oyaawa Odhiambo and Maureen Ogany.
They are being investigated for alleged offences under Section 3 of the Proceeds of Crime and Anti-Money Laundering Act and Section 313 of the Penal Code.
Amakobe told the court that the constitutional 24-hour period for holding arrested persons was insufficient to complete the inquiries.
The DCI said detectives needed to subject mobile phones recovered from the suspects to forensic examination at the DCI ICT and Digital Forensics Laboratory to retrieve communication records and information relating to financial transactions.
Investigators want to forward the suspected counterfeit currency for forensic examination and liaise with the Department of Mining and Geology to establish whether the recovered gold bars were genuine.
The detectives further sought days to establish ownership of the four motor vehicles through the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) and pursue financial leads with relevant government agencies.
The court was also asked allow investigators to conduct identification procedures, verify the nationality of four of the suspects through the relevant embassies and establish their immigration status through the Directorate of Immigration.
Investigators argued that they needed more time to record statements from the suspects, the owner of Zizo Warehouse and other potential witnesses as part of the inquiry.
The court ordered that the 14 suspects be remanded at JKIA Police Station for five days to facilitate completion of the investigations.
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