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DCI chief declares major victory over "wash wash" cartels

Director of Criminal Investigations Amin Mohamed during a press conference at the DCI headquarters in Nairobi on June 12, 2024, with Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) Director Christopher Asher Wray. (Photo: EV)

By Erick Kariuki | Friday, June 14, 2024

The fight against the "wash wash" intensified after Kenya was grey-listed in February 2024 by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF)

DCI boss Amin Mohamed announced a significant crackdown on 'wash wash' cartels, claiming their activities in Kenya have been drastically reduced.

"We have so far downgraded the activities of the gold scammers here in Kenya, they have now relocated to some of our neighbouring countries," said Amin.

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Amin revealed that these cartels, primarily from medium-producing nations, were aided by corrupt lawyers who facilitated money laundering through escrow accounts.

He noted that Kenyan scammers often collaborate with foreign counterparts to target victims, mostly foreigners.

"These fraudsters collaborate with some rogue lawyers and they open escrow accounts whereby the money is then withdrawn immediately from those accounts," he said.

"We have had successful prosecutions, out of 71 reported cases we were able to identify, arrest, and prosecute 64 people, some Kenyans and others are foreigners."

Amin praised the invaluable contribution of the FBI in investigating these cases, emphasising the collaboration between the FBI and the Kenyan Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI). He commended the FBI's expertise in social media investigations and their effectiveness in recovering the proceeds of crime.

The fight against the "wash wash" intensified after Kenya was grey-listed in February 2024 by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the international organization responsible for establishing standards to combat money laundering, terrorist financing, and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

According to the Financial Action Task Force, countries on the list have committed themselves to resolving the identified deficiencies within agreed time frames. They are therefore working actively to improve their compliance with the Financial Action Task Force standards.