The Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) has said goods worth Ksh267 million have been recovered after they were stolen.
The goods, according to the detectives, were recovered in Kampala after they were shipped to the neighbouring country with the assistance of local fraudsters.
"Detectives have made a breakthrough in the investigation of an international fraud case where businessmen based in India lost goods worth over Ksh267 million to suspected fraudsters based in Uganda, assisted by local thugs," DCI said in a statement on X, formerly Twitter.
Complaint
The investigation was launched after an Indian businessman filed a complaint about lost goods. The good in question is caustic soda, which is used as a reagent in laboratories and also as a cleansing agent.
"This is after the complainant, Surya Parkash, the Chief Executive of Kutch Chemical Industries LTD, supplied a consignment of 104 containers of caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) to fictitious companies between December 12, 2022, and April 22, 2023.
"According to the complainant, who flew to Kenya from India to file his report at DCI headquarters, five companies identified as Abbey Chemicals East Africa LTD, Innospec LTD, Akoki Investment Agency LTD, CJP Chemicals LTD, and UNATRAL Free Zone SMC Uganda LTD had ordered the consignment, which was delivered through the port of Mombasa between January 31, 2023, and May 15, 2023," DCI continued.
The Kiambu Road-based agency explained how the businessman lost communication with the local traders after the goods were offloaded.
"But immediately after the last container was offloaded at the port, the consignees who had not paid for the shipment went under and severed communication with the supplier.
"Investigations into the fraud brought together seasoned sleuths from DCI’s Serious Crimes Unit and officers from Uganda Police," it added.
Joint investigation
The investigation was successful after the Kenyan police unit, the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), and Ugandan agencies joined hands in the hunt for suspects.
"Criminal Investigations Department and INTERPOL were immediately launched. Yesterday (Friday, October 6), the team recovered 7,420 bags, equivalent to 7 containers of the product, at Liberty Internal Container Depot, a logistical company located along the Bweyogere Industrial Area in Kampala, Uganda.
"Efforts to recover the rest of the shipment and arrest the suspects involved are ongoing," DCI concluded.
