nside Nairobi’s gold scam network as DCI nets suspected “queen” of multimillion-shilling fraud
DCI officials say Nairobi continues to attract transnational fraud networks, particularly in gold-related scams, where foreign investors are lured with promises of lucrative deals only to lose millions to organised syndicates
Nairobi’s reputation as a hotspot for international gold scams has once again come under scrutiny after detectives arrested a suspected key player in a syndicate accused of defrauding a foreign investor of millions of shillings in a fake gold deal.
On May 17, 2026, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said detectives had arrested Mildred Kache, described as the alleged mastermind behind a scheme that siphoned 431,380 USDT (approximately Sh55.7 million) from an American national in a fraudulent gold transaction.
Kache was arrested at Crystal Villas in Kilimani during an operation by detectives from the DCI Nairobi Regional Headquarters. Her alleged accomplice, Ibrahim Yusuf Mohamed, managed to escape and is now on the run.
Police said the suspect abandoned a black Mercedes-Benz E50, registration number KCV 910C, which has since been impounded and towed to the DCI headquarters as an exhibit.
According to investigators, the syndicate had posed as legitimate gold dealers and convinced the American investor that they could supply 400 kilograms of gold bars.
After a series of negotiations and documentation designed to legitimise the deal, the investor travelled to Nairobi to finalise the transaction.
Trusting the arrangement, the victim wired Sh55,752,334 into bank accounts allegedly controlled by the suspects. However, shortly after the transfer, communication from the group reportedly went silent.
“The victim was promised delivery of 400 kilograms of gold bars in a fraudulent transaction,” the DCI said, adding that the suspects cut off contact once the funds were received.
Realising he had been defrauded, the investor reported the matter to Kenyan authorities, triggering investigations that led detectives to the Kilimani apartment where Kache was arrested.
DCI officials say Nairobi continues to attract transnational fraud networks, particularly in gold-related scams, where foreign investors are lured with promises of lucrative deals only to lose millions to organised syndicates.
Many of the operations, investigators note, rely on staged meetings, forged documentation, and carefully rehearsed negotiations to appear legitimate.
In this latest case, detectives say the suspects had gone to considerable lengths to convince the victim of the authenticity of the deal, including preparing formal agreements and arranging meetings in the city.
Kache remains in police custody as she awaits arraignment, while detectives intensify the search for her alleged accomplice. The seized vehicle remains under police detention as part of the ongoing investigation.
Authorities say the case is part of a broader pattern of sophisticated fraud schemes targeting foreign investors in Kenya, with law enforcement warning that such networks often operate across multiple jurisdictions and rely on highly coordinated deception tactics.
