Mastermind of Ksh.12 billion gold scam syndicate arrested in Nairobi

William Tuil, a French National was supposed to be introduced into a supposedly lucrative business deal involving the export of Coltan, a precious mineral from the Democratic Republic of Congo. 

The Frenchman ended up in Oduk's office in Nairobi’s Westlands with a metallic box loaded with stones and broken tiles, instead of billions became the price of the supposed Coltan deal.

Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations raided the premises following a complaint from a French national who claims to have lost Ksh.7 million to Oduk.

In one of the spaces in the townhouse converted into an office, detectives recovered 12 metallic boxes which they say are mostly used to scam unsuspecting victims. The boxes, some of which were not locked, had stones in them.

Detectives say that Oduk and Company use the stones to give their unsuspecting victims an impression of either cash or fake gold weight.

Oduk was arrested alongside several of his employees.

Police then signaled William Tuil the French victim to present himself and identify the consignment he was earlier shown and told was money.

With the impounded boxes on display, William recalls the one bearing his alleged money as being green. It was locked in his presence and he was given the keys back in Accra Ghana way before he made his way to Rwanda then Nairobi. William got a bunch of keys handed to him by the swindlers, and as detectives tried them out the padlocks of this green metal box snapped open.

What William thought was cash all along turned out to be stones and a bag of gravel. Dismayed and feeling conned, William still; held on to hope that one of the boxes will bear his money. That did not happen.

The packaging of the alleged millions was done in Ghana where it was meant to be transported through diplomatic means to Rwanda where William had been told by the scammers to wait for his money before diving into the mines business.

He was later told that when the plane landed in Nairobi, the consignment was impounded by authorities who apparently require money in bribes to release the money… he was asked to travel to Nairobi.

It is in Nairobi where Edwin Oduk who police believe is part of a transnational organised criminal gang contacted him and demanded Ksh.2.3 million for safekeeping, another Ksh.2.9 million for insurance and Ksh.1.7 million for a private jet.

Oduk alongside another fraudster purporting to be a customs officer further demanded Ksh.87 million for customs and Ksh.72 million as his commission. These huge amounts got the victim suspecting and raising the alarm with the police.

Oduk is expected to be arraigned on Thursday.