A suspected fake gold dealer is in police custody after being accused of defrauding a Pakistani national of USD 34,800 (Ksh.4.5 million).

According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Stephen Magero was arrested after the scam victim filed a complaint at the Karen Police Station.

The foreigner reported that he bought 500 grams of gold from Magero but subsequent testing led to the discovery that the gold was counterfeit.

A joint operation led by DCI officers was then launched which led to Magero’s arrest at Sultan Suites, Ngong View Estate, and the seizure of items that will be used as exhibit.

Some of the items include ten bars of suspected fake gold, business cards bearing the name John Mbalaka, a MacBook Pro laptop, smelting machines and related apparatus, a mining certificate under the name Chawanda Minerals, a weighing machine, two plastic boxes containing sand and several assorted files and documents.

Magero will remain in custody pending arraignment.