Detectives in Nairobi have arrested a second suspect linked to a high-value gold scam and money laundering scheme that defrauded an American investor of USD 217,900 in a fake gold deal that promised delivery but produced nothing. The arrest marks a major step forward in a widening investigation into an organized cross-border fraud network.
The suspect, Mohammed Noor Muhyadhin Mohammed, was picked up by officers from the Operation Support Unit (OSU) as investigators tightened the net around individuals believed to have helped move and conceal the stolen funds. Authorities say the money originated from a bogus 495-kilogram gold transaction and was quickly transferred through multiple accounts in a classic laundering pattern.
Mohammed is the sole proprietor of Mohazcom Trading, a Kenyan-registered business dealing in mobile phones sourced mainly from Tecno Mobile Limited. Detectives allege that his company account was used as a key transit channel for the fraud proceeds.
His arrest follows the earlier arraignment of Willis Onyango Wasonga, also known as Marcus, at the Milimani Law Courts in connection with the same fake gold deal. Prosecutors charged Wasonga with conspiracy to defraud, obtaining money by false pretences, and multiple counts related to possession and use of proceeds of crime under anti-money-laundering laws. He denied the charges in court.
Investigators established that on February 3, 2026, the full USD 217,900 was transferred into Mohammed’s company account at the National Bank of Kenya. The funds had been moved from accounts associated with a law firm that was presented as handling escrow arrangements for the supposed gold shipment. Detectives say the gold consignment never existed.
Within a short time of receiving the funds, Mohammed allegedly wired the entire amount overseas to accounts linked to Tecno Mobile Limited in Hong Kong, claiming the transfer was meant to facilitate a new mobile phone shipment that has not arrived in Kenya to date. Financial crime investigators view the rapid onward transfer as a deliberate layering step designed to obscure the money trail.
Further inquiries revealed that Mohammed maintained a long-running business relationship with a Nairobi forex bureau along Standard Street, with detectives suspecting the bureau played a facilitation role in cross-border transfers connected to the scheme. Authorities say transaction patterns point to coordinated laundering rather than normal trade payments.
To justify the suspicious transfer, documents described as a debt settlement agreement were later presented, allegedly signed between parties to the deal. Detectives, however, concluded the paperwork was a cover story intended to legitimize a fraudulent transaction after the fact.
Mohammed is currently in custody awaiting arraignment as detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations continue to pursue at least three more suspects believed to be part of the network. The case adds to a growing list of fake gold scams and laundering operations targeting foreign investors through staged deals and layered fund transfers.
.png)
