On August 12, 2018, Police circulated photos on 4 smartly dressed suspects behind a laptop theft syndicate that specialized in sneaking into meetings in Nairobi and making away with any laptop or valuable left unattended to.
Inside the life of the Sh439 trillion fake money syndicate mastermind arrested today
Isaiah Aluodo Belek's transition from a suspected common thug arrested in 2018 to a suspected mastermind of the Sh439trillion fake money scam in 2023
Isaiah Aluodo Belek
Recommended articles
Among them was Isaiah Aluodo Belek who was captured on CCTV and subsequently arrested with the DCI circulating his mugshot with the arrest making headlines.
Five years later, Belek is once again in police custody, only that this time it is in connection with Sh439 trillion fake money syndicate.
By the time of his arrest on Saturday, the suspect who dresses sharply has since moved to the posh Gigiri suburbs of Nairobi and was living a luxurious life with a sleek Mercedes car among his prized possessions.
ADVERTISEMENT
A side by side mugshot of Isaiah Aluodo Belek during his arrest in 2018 and in 2023
Pulse Live Kenya
Polished, refined and with a taste for the finer things in life, Aluodo lived a life that many of his peers can only dream of, until sleuth came calling, disturbing his little paradise in Gigiri.
“Mastermind in the multi-trillion dollar fraud implicating eight other accused persons has been flushed out of his Gigiri hideout in Nairobi by the Operations Support detectives. Isaiah Aluodo Belek who is believed to have authored communications with the complainants joins his 8 accomplices who were arraignment at Milimani Law Courts yesterday.
“Meanwhile, Isaiah Aluodo remains in police custody being processed for arraignment Monday. His Mercedes Benz which is believed to be a proceed of fraud has also been detained.” DCI announced on Saturday, shortly after his arrest.
ADVERTISEMENT
How he worked his way from a suspected common thug in 2018 to a force to reckon with in the criminal world going by the crimes that the DCI link him to will most likely be of interest to investigators.
DCI spoil the party for fake cash syndicate
DCI penetrated the syndicate that was closing in on two Dutch nationals in a scam involving a mind-boggling Sh439 trillion.
The suspects are; Moses Otieno, Peter Aura, Brian Waweru, John Kalombo, Peter Kisanya, Noah Ouma, Charity Njeri and Mercy Cheptoo.
ADVERTISEMENT
"In this orchestrated fraudulent scheme, the foreigners were contacted through a WhatsApp call by a number registered in the name 'Canopy Shield Agencies', by a caller who informed them that their consignment of 40 pallets had been held at the Kenya Customs Warehouse pending duty fee payment of USD 36,000 (Ksh.5.5 million)," the DCI said in a statement on November 15, 2023.
Isaiah Aluodo Belek
Pulse Live Kenya
The two foreigners travelled into the country to clear the alleged customs fees and later told the police that they had reportedly entered into a cash on transit agreement with the Central Bank of Togo to transport the Ksh.439 trillion to Dubai, hence their swift response when the fraudsters called.
"The caller who posed as a Customs officer convinced the complainants that the first batch of 40 pallets contained USD 4 billion and that they were being flown through Kenya to facilitate their clearance and smooth entry to Dubai," said DCI.
ADVERTISEMENT
"Unbeknownst to the fraudsters that detectives had got wind of the on-goings. As the eight suspects got busy around the warehouse convincing their targets to part with the USD 36,000, the operations team stormed the premises," said the DCI.
JOIN OUR PULSE COMMUNITY!
ADVERTISEMENT
Eyewitness? Submit your stories now via social or:
Email: news@pulselive.co.ke
Recommended articles
Hussein Mohamed: Why Cabinet hasn't declared El Nino a national disaster
Biden to skip UN Climate conference kickoff in Dubai, White House schedule confirms
Azimio MP's brother found dead
Ruto endorses National Dialogue Committee recommendations, reveals next steps
Martha Karua speaks as focus shifts to Ruto & Raila after NADCO report release
Key recommendations of the National Dialogue Committee submitted to Raila & Ruto
KPLC announces blackout lasting up to 9 hours in 4 counties on Sunday
Israel to release another 42 Palestinian women, children from prison
