The prime suspect in a multimillion-shilling minerals scam has been apprehended by Kenyan authorities in Nairobi. Ulundu Patrick Lumumba, also known as Gabriel Kulonda and Lumumba Patrick Byarufu, was arrested moments after arriving from Uganda, where he had been on the run. The suspect is accused of orchestrating a scheme that defrauded a Chinese national of KES 151 million.
The arrest of Ulundu Patrick Lumumba, also known by several aliases, comes after a complex investigation into a scam that involved the shipment of containers filled with sand instead of the valuable tantalum minerals they were declared to contain.
According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the suspect had attempted to sneak back into Kenya using a Ugandan interstate pass card and a Congolese passport, in addition to the Kenyan passport that had been flagged with a stop order.
“Determined to sneak back into the country and further his felonious activities, the suspect used a Ugandan Interstate pass card no. 020841009 in the names of Lumumba Patrick Byarufu, and upon arrest was also found in possession of yet another Congolese Passport number OPO792312 in the names of Patrick Ulundu Lumumba,” the DCI said in a statement.
The scam came to light when one of the three containers declared to contain tantalum minerals was opened in China, only to be found filled with drums of sand. This triggered an investigation at the port of Mombasa, where two more 20-foot containers containing sand were intercepted. A third 40-foot container had also passed through the verification process without any documentation.
“Surprisingly, the 40ft container had passed the entire verification processes without any documentation. This totalled to six, the number of containers of sand declared as tantalum minerals,” the DCI said.
Detectives have since discovered that two more containers had already been cleared and shipped to Dubai, and efforts are underway to have them intercepted.
While the bank account in which the kes 151 million was deposited has been frozen, the syndicate had already obtained over KES 49 million by working with suspected rogue bank officials, who are also under investigation.
“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 DCI said.
Lumumba, the alleged mastermind, was arraigned in court on Friday morning.
