Drama as M-Pesa fraudster caught on CCTV arrested in Rongai

Police have arrested a suspect linked to a syndicate targeting M-Pesa operators in various parts of the country.

Police intercepted the suspect, identified as Duke Maingi, along Magadi Road in Ongata Rongai and bundled him into a waiting car.

The suspect was in the process of defrauding an M-Pesa agent before police arrested him.

The video of his arrest sparked mixed reactions among Kenyans after the young man was seen being forced into the car.

The drama was captured on camera along Magadi Road in Ongata Rongai. Duke attempted to jump from the car but was overpowered.

Following the circulation of the video showing Duke being bundled into the car, Citizen TV visited the scene of the drama behind Rubis petrol station to establish whether this was a case of abduction.

From the CCTV footage on the fateful day, at half-past noon, Duke was seen speaking on the phone as he entered the M-Pesa shop.

He is heard convincing the M-Pesa agent to talk to a purported Safaricom customer care staff.

Sensing danger, the M-Pesa agent alerted those nearby, who swung into action, seized Duke and alerted police officers, who arrived immediately and bundled him into their vehicle.

"Someone came in akaniambia anataka niongee na customer care from Safaricom. I picked his phone; it was a random Safaricom number. Listening to him, he’s asking me for the agent number and other details. That’s when I hesitated,” Rongai M-Pesa agent Rongai Elvis Muthoni said.

"Vile nilimpata jamaa hapo ndani nikamwambia wewe hutoki. Vile alikujiwa tukamruhusu akawekwa ndani ya gari,” Fredrick Okach, a businessman in Rongai, said.

"Hio maneno ya abduction wananchi tuwache kuongelea kitu ambaye hatujajua ni nini. Nilikuwa hapo na naweza kuwa witness. Huyo jamaa ni mwizi na alikuja kuiba,” another businessman, Kennedy Otieno, stated.

Citizen TV also visited Ongata Rongai Police Station, where we had a chance to speak to the suspect.

Fraudsters targeting M-Pesa agents have increased across the country, and Kenyans are warned to be vigilant when using their phones to deposit or withdraw money.

"The first one that I was talking to as customer care, allegedly, was a Safaricom number that started with 0110—that’s a Safaricom number. Afterwards, the other number that started calling consistently was an Airtel number, 0780,” Muthoni said.

As part of the probe, investigators will be examining the area and looking into the numbers used to defraud the M-Pesa agent.