Five suspects arrested over Sh15.5 million gold scam targeting Romanian, Swiss businessmen
were part of a complex scheme to trick the victims into thinking they were buying 550 kilogrammes of gold stored at JKIA that was going to be cleared and transported.
Five suspects, including Lamarca J. Benjamin, the alleged mastermind and CEO of AFREX Bridge Connections Ltd, have been arrested in connection with a sophisticated gold scam that defrauded two businessmen, a Romanian and a Swiss national, out of Sh15.5million (USD 120,000).
The suspects were caught after the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) found out they were part of a complex scheme to trick the victims into thinking they were buying 550 kilogrammes of gold stored at JKIA that was going to be cleared and transported.
"Five suspects implicated in a gold scam that left two businessmen, a Romanian and Swiss national, crying for justice after losing approximately USD 120,000 to the fraudsters, are in our custody," said the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
DCI apprehended the suspects after a thorough investigation revealed their involvement in a well-organised fraud.
The two victims had been led to believe that Lamarca was selling 550 kilogrammes of gold stored at a warehouse at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
The scam was designed to make the businessmen believe the gold was awaiting clearance and ready for transport once a payment of USD 120,000 was made.
Deceived by the scammers' tactics, which appeared to have been in operation for years, the victims paid the full amount, only to be left in an endless cycle of false promises and delays.
Wilson Airport Police Station received the complaint on January 29, 2025, and immediately launched an investigation.
According to the DCI, the investigation uncovered crucial evidence linking the suspects to the fraudulent deal, leading to their arrests.
Detectives first raided the AFREX Bridge Connections Ltd. offices, where they collected crucial evidence. They arrested the first two suspects, Lucy Gitonga and Rose Kambua. On January 31, 2025, 34-year-old Samson Kibet Sirkoi was also taken into custody.
On February 2, the investigation led officers to Mount Kenya Wildlife Estate in Nanyuki's Ol Pejeta Conservancy, where Lamarca, alias Morlon, and 25-year-old Justine Adhiambo were arrested.
During the raid, the authorities recovered two Glock pistols, 96 rounds of 9mm ammunition, a pair of handcuffs, a laptop, one MacBook and six expired mineral licenses were confiscated. They also seized a Toyota Land Cruiser V8 and other documents related to the scam.
Further investigations took officers to Lamarca's residence in Riverside Pearl, Kileleshwa, Nairobi, where more evidence was found, including three 9mm tracer bullets, 14 smoke grenades, a bulletproof vest, and several seals and stamps.
The Firearms Licensing Board confirmed that Lamarca, also known as Morlon, is not a licensed firearm holder.
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