The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) is well known for its captivating and seamless way of narrating stories that evoke emotion and attention to their online readers.
Ranging from thrilling crime stories and mind-boggling stories to updates on wanted suspects, the investigative agency always has a way of arousing its audience and keeping readers alert for criminals lurking.
This has in turn enabled citizens to interact with the investigative agency and even encouraged some citizens to disclose the whereabouts of wanted individuals thus contributing to the success of the agency, if this craft is something to go about.
With the year winding up, K24 Digital summed up the agency's most compelling stories of 2023.
Suspects linked to $439 trillion fraud
The story published on the DCI's official social media platforms on November 15, 2023, was among the most compelling stories owing to the figures quoted.
The story, according to DCI, dwells on suspects involved in a USD439 trillion mega fraud targeting two foreign businessmen from the Netherlands.
According to the Mohammed Amin-led agency, eight of the suspects were apprehended during an operation at a warehouse in Nairobi after they defrauded the foreigners the amount in question through an elaborate scheme.
In the scheme, the suspects while posing as customs officers tricked the foreign businessmen into believing that their consignment of 40 pallets containing USD4 billion was being held at the Kenya Customs Warehouse.
To release the consignment, the suspects demanded the businessmen to send USD36,000 duty fee.
With the DCI's help, the businessmen pretended that they had agreed to the suspects' demands and headed to the warehouse to pay the fee.
As soon as they arrived at the venue, the officers stormed the premises and arrested the suspects.
Startled netizens failed to comprehend and compute the figures quoted by DCI sparking debate online over the accuracy of the report.
Here's the story as posted by DCI on X
Wells Fargo employees disappear with Ksh94.9M
DCI's report on the two Wells Fargo employees who made away with Ksh94.9 million evoked mixed reactions across different social media platforms.
The story published on November 6, centres on the suspects who stole the millions they were to deliver to Family Bank in Nairobi.
The stolen cash which belonged to Quickmart Supermarkets was from the security firm's vault in the Industrial Area.
According to DCI, the suspects; Daniel Mungai, the crew commander and Antony Nduiki who was the driver were aboard the company's vehicle when it arrived at the vault as scheduled.
However, the two left without the Administration Police (AP) officers who were supposed to escort them.
After noticing that they had waited beyond the expected time, the AP officers decided to check on them only to discover that they had left the premises.
Upon investigations, detectives discovered that the suspects left aboard a waiting car
"The above suspects are said to have collected the money as usual but sneaked out without police escort. Later the AP officers waited but didn't see them, it was then that they raised the alarm. The vehicle without money was dumped at Dafarm in South C in the Langata sub-county," DCI said in a report at the time.
Here's the story as posted by DCI on X
21-year-old among suspects in Ksh13.5M robbery
The story about 21-year-old Grace Akinyi being one of the suspects involved in a Ksh13.5 million robbery captivated the attention of Kenyans.
In the story, Grace was among the five suspects arrested in connection to the crime involving an Australian man and his Ugandan wife.
Grace and her accomplices were accused of luring their victims to the country with the intent of defrauding them through a fake gold scam.
"Once at the agreed venue, Felix sent a driver who picked them up in a Toyota Prado and drove them to the office setting building along Glory Road in Runda, where more than 10 men lay in wait. On arrival at their snare, gears shifted fast from the initial VIP treatment to a rough-up that subdued them, with the man suffering hefty blows and strangulation that left his wife begging for their lives. She was not spared either as the gang handcuffed and slapped her repeatedly as they touched her inappropriately," DCI said.
Notably, the couple lost over USD90,000 (Ksh13.6 million), entailing the $60,000 (Ksh9.1 million) they had carried in cash and jewellery valued at over $30,000 (Ksh4.5 million) in the scuffle.
Here's the story as posted by DCI on X
Man arrested for stealing Ksh25K phone found to be DCI officer
The story published by the investigative agency on October 25, set tongues wagging after it was discovered that the suspect involved in the theft of a mobile phone along Nkrumah Road in Mombasa on the morning of October 20 was a DCI officer.
The officer to the DCI in Turkana county became the centre of debate with many wondering how the petty thief turned out to be a detective.
In the unexpected events, the officer is said to have snatched the phone worth Ksh25,000 from his victim as she was receiving a call while buying fruits from a vendor.
To counteract the suspect, the vendor attempted to hang on the Tuktuk while demanding that the suspect return the phone.
The officer, however, relentlessly stood firm on his decision and threatened to stab the vendor should he refuse to jump off the tuk-tuk.
“But when the vendor refused to get off the tuk-tuk, the officer threatened to stab him, forcing the vendor to jump off the tuk-tuk. The driver then started driving back and forth, trying to run over the vendor," DCI said.
Officers later arrested the suspect en route Mama Ngina waterfront.
“The suspect was arrested and officers escorted the tuk-tuk and the suspect to Central Police Station. Upon interrogation, the suspect was found to be wearing a police badge and identified himself as a police officer attached to DCI Kibish in Turkana County," DCI said at the time.
