Police crack down on syndicate forging IDs and title deeds, arrest 29
Police in Kenya arrested 29 suspects, including chiefs and civil servants, over a forgery network linked to fake IDs, land titles and official letters, exposing citizens and banks to major financial risks.
29 people have been arrested in a sweeping operation aimed at dismantling a network suspected of producing forged documents across Kenya.
The arrests, which include government employees and traditional leaders, follow intelligence reports revealing an elaborate scam that affects both urban and rural areas.
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Among those taken into custody are three chiefs, implicated in the forgery of citizenship papers.
Officials described the network as a serious threat that could expose citizens and institutions to various dangers.
“Citizenship documents must be protected, and that is why we are determined to crack this gang,” said an official involved in the crackdown.
A terror suspect is also among those detained, having acquired an important document through the gang.
Investigators are pursuing other individuals who assisted the suspect. Preliminary findings indicate that multiple individuals were involved in creating documents later presented as authentic.
The forged papers reportedly include land titles, national IDs, birth certificates, and official government letterheads. These counterfeits have inflicted significant financial losses on institutions, particularly banks.
“They have also defrauded unsuspecting Kenyans of millions of shillings. We are pursuing more suspects involved in the cases,” said an official familiar with the investigations.
Those arrested were held at different police stations in anticipation of arraignment.
Investigators emphasised that multi-agency efforts are ongoing to prevent further fraud.
Some security personnel have also been implicated in aiding foreigners who courts declared unlawfully present.
Police spokesman Michael Muchiri said the operations will continue until all responsible parties are apprehended.
“These people need to know what awaits them. It amounts to, among other things, economic sabotage,” he said, adding that numerous fake documents recovered during the raids have been destroyed.
In a separate incident, a civil servant employed as an economist at the State Department for Cabinet Affairs was arrested for forging a top government official’s signature.
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He had delivered a falsified letter to the National Police Service Commission (NPSC) listing “state-recommended candidates” for police recruitment.
Police said the suspect had been running a side operation creating counterfeit documents.
Investigators also noted a recurring pattern of misconduct. The individual is already suspended following a previous case at Kahawa Law Courts, where he allegedly forged a letter promoting himself to director and transferring himself to the State Department for Housing.
When detectives closed in, he attempted to avoid capture by switching off all his known phone numbers.
Authorities reiterated they are determined to pursue everyone involved in the forgery network and ensure justice is served.
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