A Congolese national, Puati Poba Dally, 35, has been apprehended in Kenya for orchestrating a fraudulent gold deal that duped a Ghanaian merchant out of USD 100,000, Director of Criminal Investigation DCI reports.
Puati’s capture occurred when he attempted to re-enter Kenya through the Busia border, only to be intercepted by immigration officials.
This arrest follows a complaint lodged in September 2023 at the Operations Support Unit offices in Nairobi.
The elaborate scam, according to DCI, unfolded when Puati met the Ghanaian victim at a hotel in Ghana, presenting himself as “Osuman” from Nigeria with business connections in Uganda.
Sensing an opportunity, Puati offered to introduce the victim to gold dealers in Uganda, paving the way for lucrative sales in Dubai.
Armed with cash and eager for a successful transaction, the victim traveled to Uganda on August 1, 2023, where Puati introduced him to alleged dealers named Ben and Hassan.
However, what followed was a harrowing ordeal where the victim was manipulated into paying exorbitant fees totaling USD 71,300 (Sh10.7 million) for gold documentation, certification, melting, and taxation.
Despite assurances, the victim’s gold never made it to Dubai. On August 9, the victim boarded a flight to the UAE, expecting his cargo to follow suit.
Days later, upon returning to Uganda to check on the gold, he discovered that it had been mistakenly flown through Kenya and held in customs.
Desperate and manipulated, the victim encountered Puati’s accomplices, Daniel and Lucy, at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA). They further exploited him, extracting an additional USD 30,000 (over Sh4.3 million) under the guise of taxes and clearance for non-existent gold.
The ordeal reached a tipping point during a flight departure, where the victim’s distress drew attention and led to his ejection from the plane. This outcry ultimately triggered an investigation by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Operations Support Unit.
Following Puati’s arrest, authorities are intensifying interrogations to dismantle the criminal syndicate responsible for this sophisticated gold scam.
Efforts are underway to identify and apprehend other members involved in perpetrating this transnational fraud, aiming to bring all perpetrators to justice and recover funds for the victim.
Authorities urge individuals to exercise vigilance and conduct thorough due diligence to prevent falling victim to similar scams in the future.
