A retired teacher is counting losses amounting to millions of shillings after he allegedly lost the money to suspected gold mine scammers in Meru.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have already arrested the suspect accused of fleecing the retired teacher with a promise of massive returns from lucrative gold investment.
The security agencies are pursuing the accomplices believed to be involved in the fraud.
The victim, a 61-year-old, encountered the suspect earlier this year when he was sold the investment idea.
Having bought it, he was ready to go out of his way to fulfill his end of the bargain with the suspect, identified as Dennis Kinoti.
According to a statement by the DCI, on diverse dates, between February 2026 and last month, the victim innocently wired monies to the suspect while chasing the deal.
Until April, the retired teacher had entrusted Kinoti with at least Ksh7.5 million, and it was at this point that he discovered the fraud.
Armed with the evidence of mobile money and bank transfers, he immediately reported to the DCI, whose detectives embarked on a thorough investigation.
The investigators would later catch up with Kinoti in Gakurine, Meru County.
He was found with numerous SIM cards, suggesting he was operating a string of fraudulent activities.
“Following painstaking investigations and intelligence-led operations, detectives smoked out the prime suspect, Dennis Kinoti, from his hideout in Gakurine area of Meru County subsequently arresting him. A search conducted at the suspect’s residence led to the recovery of several Safaricom SIM cards believed to have been used in the fraudulent scheme,” the DCI said.
Further probe by the DCI led to them discovering the suspect owning a vehicle believed to have been bought with the monies obtained from the retired teacher.
The car, a Volkswagen Passat, was taken to the Meru Police Station, with the suspect booked there immediately as the investigators strove to conclude their investigations.
“Detectives also seized a grey Volkswagen Passat suspected to have been purchased using proceeds of crime. The vehicle was towed to Meru Police Station where it is being detained as exhibit as investigations gather pace,” the DCI said.
Meanwhile, a search for his accomplices is ongoing.
The DCI warned members of the public against being too trusting and easily baited by fraudsters.
He called on anybody with any information which could lead to the arrest of other suspects to forward it to the security officers.
