Four suspects were apprehended by detectives in Thika after being linked to a major fraud operation involving counterfeit Local Purchase Orders (LPOs) worth over Sh3.2 million.
The individuals are accused of using forged documents bearing the letterhead of a prominent company, Chandaria Ltd, to illicitly acquire goods from Bidco.
The arrest came after an extensive period of surveillance by the DCI's Operations Actions Team (OAT), which tracked the group's movements for weeks.
Intelligence reports led authorities to act swiftly, ultimately catching the fraudsters in the act as they attempted to secure another shipment of goods worth approximately Sh1.7 million.
The suspects, identified as Haron Mwangi Ndungu, James Nyaga Munyutha, Philip Njenga, and Paul Ngugi, were caught driving a white Isuzu lorry (registration number KDB 249Z) that had been used to transport the stolen goods.
On the day of the arrest, they were en route to collect the goods from Bidco, armed with a forged LPO for yet another delivery.
The fraudulent scheme involved the use of falsified LPOs, which had been expertly crafted to mimic legitimate business transactions.
The perpetrators had already succeeded in securing several deliveries using similar fake documents. According to the DCI, the criminals' actions had gone undetected until their most recent attempt, which led to their capture.
Authorities have confirmed that all four suspects are currently in police custody and are being processed for arraignment in court.
The lorry they were using to transport the stolen goods has been seized as evidence.
The case is expected to serve as a reminder to businesses about the growing prevalence of fraud, especially in sectors reliant on LPOs.
Kenyan businesses have long grappled with various forms of fraud, including document forgery, which has led to significant losses in several industries. In light of this case, the DCI has urged companies to exercise caution when handling LPOs and to report any suspicious activities to prevent further incidents.