PART ONE: Has Nairobi been turned into a scammers paradise?

Revelations involving the return of 91kilograms a gold haul smuggled to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) through Ethiopia using fake papers after it controversially went missing from the Central African Republic has blown off the lid over existence of intricate web of a criminal syndicate that could be operating in the country in collusion with foreigners and senior government officials, we can authoritatively reveal.

Three foreign nationals, all with past dubious dealings committed in other jurisdictions reportedly are linked to the smuggling of the controversial gold consignment are said to be in the country.

This comes barely two years after the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), through a confidential situational report revealed that a number of officers domiciled at the Immigration Department are colluding with criminals including placing red alerts warning that they will deport foreigners who have been defrauded without compelling reasons.

In the latest case, the three foreigners said to have sneaked into Nairobi are; Djamaa Ibrahim of passport number A03946111 (Senegalese) Abdelkarim El Ghazouani of passport number B50015846 (Nigerian) and Pylyp Prokofiev of passport number FJ426593 (Moroccan).

Prokofiev also holds a Ukrainian and Kazakhstan passport while Ghazouani also holds a French passport.

They are believed to have been met in a French prison several years ago when they served a prison sentence for drug trafficking, and maintained contact after gaining their freedom.

Reports indicate that the authorities in the United Arab Emirates returned the stolen gold to Kenya after discovering it had been air freighted using fake papers.

Detectives attached to DCI are currently trying to locate the trio’s hideout, after it was discovered they have been in the country for several weeks now seeking to smuggle the consignment out of the country with the assistance of alleged senior government officials.

The gold, which is being held by detectives, is believed to have been smuggled by three from the Central African Republic (CAR) through Ethiopia.

This comes in the backdrop of the SwissAid report, which was released last month, indicating that Kenya is a transit hub for smuggled gold from other African countries, including South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

While illicit outflows from the country likely exceed two tons per year, the amount of declared gold exports was 672 kilograms in 2023, according to the Bern-based organization.

“Kenya acts as a transit hub for gold from neighboring countries. The vast majority of the gold that is shipping from Kenya is not declared for export,” the report indicated.

SwissAid noted that legislation was introduced in 2023 to formalize small-scale mining and reduce the illegal gold trade, but it has not yet become law.

The report also indicated that a majority of the gold smuggled out of Kenya is shipped to Dubai and declared for import there, and other destinations include India and South Africa.

The nation may also have become a conduit for gold from Sudan, where a civil war has raged since 2023.

An expert on Artisanal and Small Scale Mining Sector (ASM) in Kenya consulted by SWISSAID in early 2025 confirmed that gold was smuggled from Congo and South Sudan through Kenva to Dubai and Abu Dhabi in UAE via Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and added that the business is mostly dominated by entrepreneurs through their wholesale shops are in Eastleigh, Nairobi.

SWISSAID considers it plausible that gold may be flowing from Sudan to Kenya, given Kenya’s role as a transit hub.

However, SWIS- SAID’s brief research on this aspect has not yielded any solid evidence so far.

It also says traffickers use the Moyale and Yabelo route to Kenya to smuggle gold from Ethiopia’s gold from Oromia and Southern Ethiopia.

In our subsequent series, we give you blow by blow account of the collusion involving the criminal networks and government officials in facilitating illicit trade.