Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Nairobi have arrested a key suspect in an international gold scam that defrauded a Canadian national of USD 280,000 (approximately KSh 40 million).
The suspect, identified as Abbas Badru Omuyoma, who also uses the alias Ishmael, was apprehended along Dennis Pritt Road following an intensive manhunt. His arrest is connected to a formal complaint filed on September 1, 2025.
According to the DCI, Omuyoma and an accomplice who is still at large orchestrated an elaborate con. They allegedly lured the foreign investor with promises of a lucrative gold deal, offering 550 kilograms of gold nuggets and bars, which they falsely claimed were sourced from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Believing the transaction to be legitimate, the Canadian investor transferred the hefty sum of USD 280,000 to the suspects via USDT (Tether stablecoin). The promised gold never materialized, leaving the investor out of pocket and prompting him to seek help from Kenyan authorities.
“Following the complaint, an intensive investigation was launched. Through forensic leads, detectives trailed Ishmael, arresting him along Dennis Pritt Road in Nairobi,” the DCI stated in a brief.
Omuyoma is currently in police custody, undergoing processing and is pending his arraignment in court to face fraud-related charges. Meanwhile, detectives have confirmed that a manhunt for his accomplice is ongoing.
