Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Nairobi Regional Office have taken into custody Abbas Bardu Omuyoma, aka Ishmael, a fraudster linked to a gold scam that defrauded a Canadian investor out of USD 280,000 (Ksh36.2 million).

Ishmael’s arrest comes on the heels of a formal complaint made on September 1, 2025.

Together with an accomplice who remains at large, Ishmael orchestrated a sophisticated con, luring the unsuspecting investor with promises of 550 kg of gold nuggets and bars purportedly sourced from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Believing he was entering into a legitimate business deal, the investor transferred USD 280,000 via USDT, only to find himself empty-handed; no gold ever materialized as promised.

DCI launched intensive investigation after the complaint.

Through forensic leads, detectives trailed Ishmael, arresting him along Dennis Pritt Road in Nairobi. Currently in custody, Ishmael is undergoing processing pending his arraignment.

Meanwhile, detectives are hot on the trail of his accomplice, who is still at large.

DCI War on Gold Scammers

DCI said it has declared war on fake gold scammers in Kenya.

In a statement, DCI explained how detectives drawn from the Operations Support Unit arrested Steve Okoth Odek alias David Bett, for scamming a foreign national a staggering USD 256,000 in a fake gold deal that involved over 500kg of fake gold in December 2024.

DCI also recalled how suspected gold scammer Kelvin Otieno Onyango was arraigned following his arrest at his office in Kilimani area at China WU-YI Plaza in February 2024.

Acting on intelligence, OSU detectives raided his office along Galana Rd,and upon search recovered assorted company documents, stamps and seals.

Police IG Douglas Kanja appearing before the National Assembly Security Committee on September 9, 2025. PHOTO/Parliament.