After nearly a year on the run, two suspected gold scammers who repeatedly slipped through police dragnets have finally been caught.
Detectives from the elite Operation Support Unit (OSU) on Wednesday arrested Benson Gembe Odero and Emmulate Adhiambo Othuno, alleged masterminds of a multi-million-shilling gold con that targeted unsuspecting foreign investors.
The case dates back to September 2024, when two businessmen from Dubai filed a complaint after being lured into a bogus deal to buy 35 kilograms of gold. The investors were persuaded to fly to Kenya after several days of negotiations, only to be met at JKIA and whisked to a luxury hotel in Kilimani.
There, they encountered an elaborate syndicate: fake KRA Customs officers, phony Ministry of Mining officials, and even impostors posing as licensed private jet operators. By the time they realised the deal was a sham, they had lost USD 54,300.
Following the report, detectives launched a months-long manhunt. On November 5, 2024, coordinated raids in Runda, Ridgeways, and Industrial Area netted 31 suspects, who were later charged in court. But Odero and Othuno evaded capture—until August 13, 2025, when OSU officers cornered them in a targeted operation.
The pair appeared before Milimani Law Courts No. 3 on August 14, 2025, denied the charges, and had their case adjourned to August 18, 2025 for bond determination.
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