Prime suspect in a case where a Chinese national was scammed Sh 151 Million after being sold sand disguised as minerals arrested along Harambee Avenue (PHOTO).

Friday, April 5, 2024 - Prime suspect in Sh151 million scam where two containers filled with sand declared as Tantalum minerals were intercepted in the port of Mombasa has been arrested by the Operations Support Unit (OSU) of the DCI moments after touch down from Entebbe, Uganda.

Ulundu Patrick Lumumba Alias Gabriel Kulonda Alias Lumumba Patrick Byarufu was cornered along Harambee Avenue in Nairobi, minutes after evading detection by Immigration officials at JKIA where a Stop Order had been placed on his passport number OPO256544 in the names of Gabriel Kulonda Ilungu.

Determined to sneak back into the country and further his felonious activities, the suspect used a Ugandan Interstate pass card no. 020841009 in the name of Lumumba Patrick Byarufu, and upon arrest was also found in possession of yet another Congolese Passport number OPO792312 in the name of Patrick Ulundu Lumumba.

In the case he is implicated, a female Chinese national lost Sh151 million to the suspect's machinations after one of three containers declared to contain tantalum minerals was opened in China, only to be found loaded with drums of sand, triggering investigations at the port of Mombasa, the transit route.

In the preliminary stages, two 20ft containers also containing sand had been found at the Mombasa port, before hawk-eyed sleuths intercepted a third one (40ft) at a warehouse still at the port. Surprisingly, the 40ft container had passed the entire verification process without any documentation. This totalled six, containers of sand declared as tantalum minerals.

Detectives have since discovered that already, two more containers had already been cleared and shipped to Dubai, and efforts are underway to have them intercepted. Some port officials believed to have compromised security checks to facilitate the illegal transactions are also being investigated.

But through the quick intervention of OSU hawkshaws, the ring of scammers never lived to reap as much as they had fraudulently worked for after the bank account in which the Sh151 million was deposited was frozen. However, the syndicate had already obtained over Sh49 million along the way by working with suspected rogue bank officials who are under active investigations.

Even as investigations regarding the fake consignment continue, a court battle between OSU detectives and influential members of the scamming ring is underway, as they fight to have the intercepted millions wired to accounts recently opened with a local bank.

The suspect will be arraigned this morning at Milimani Law Courts.

The Kenyan DAILY POST.