Published on: February 28, 2025 06:38 (EAT)
A collage of the two suspects arrested by DCI.
The two, Benson Macharia and Robinson Okwemo Nyandoro, were
nabbed by sleuths based in Kilimani Police Station days after committing the
crime on February 20, 2025.
According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), in a well-choreographed scheme, the pair tricked the foreigner into believing
they would exchange his lump sum only for the second suspect, Nyandoro, to escape
with the money in a carrier bag.
Meanwhile, the first suspect, who was at the time putting on a technician’s face, kept on assuring the victim that everything was on track before
he vanished into thin air.
“The duo masqueraded as cryptocurrency exchange experts and claimed that they were in a position to facilitate a cryptocurrency exchange.
While converting the cash into cryptocurrency, Nyandoro made a dramatic exit
with the money in a carrier bag, slipping through a backdoor,” stated the DCI.
“Left behind, the bewildered victim was still in the grip of
Macharia, who posed as a trustworthy technician. With an air of confidence,
Macharia reassured the victim that everything was on track, claiming the
transfer was successful and merely delayed due to pesky network issues. But as
minutes turned into hours, the victim’s unease grew into full-blown panic.”
The victim then filed a report at Kileleshwa Police Station,
and upon a quick probe into the matter, detectives launched a manhunt for the
two, leading to Macharia’s arrest and arraignment at Kibera Magistrate’s Court.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges and was subsequently
released on a Ksh.1 million bail, with a surety of a similar amount.
Nyandoro was apprehended at a popular mall in Karen, The Hub,
two days later, where detectives also recovered Ksh.500,000,
believed to be part of the stolen amount.
“Leaving no stone unturned, detectives trailed and arrested
the second suspect, Nyandoro, at the Hub Karen on February 27, 2025. Cornered
and with no escape, he led detectives to his residence in KMA Estate, Lang’ata,
whereupon search, Ksh.500,000, believed to be part of the stolen cash, was
recovered,” DCI noted.
He was arraigned on Friday and also pleaded not guilty to
the charges.