NAIROBI, Kenya – Kenyan detectives have arrested a man accused of orchestrating a high-value gold scam that defrauded an American investor of more than USD 225,000 in a bogus bullion deal.
David Onyango Ochanda, the director of Toureg Insurance Brokers Limited, was taken into custody on Friday by the Operations Support Unit (OSU) in a coordinated operation in Nairobi.
Police say Ochanda has long been on their radar over suspected involvement in transnational gold fraud.
The case dates back to April 3, 2024, when the victim travelled to Kenya to finalise the purchase of 3,370 kilograms of gold.
Upon arrival, he was hosted at an office on Gate 53, Chalbi Drive in Lavington, Nairobi, where he signed a sales and purchase agreement and was shown a smelting process—an apparent ploy to lend credibility to the transaction.
GOLD SCAMMER CAGED IN USD 225,968 HEISTDetectives from the Operations Support Unit (OSU) have arrested David Onyango Ochanda, a man long on the police radar for orchestrating a sophisticated gold scam that fleeced an American investor of USD 225,968.64.The elaborate scheme
On April 25, 2024, the investor was introduced to Toureg Insurance Brokers Limited, purportedly contracted to insure the gold during transit.
Ochanda was presented as the company’s contact person. An addendum to the agreement was signed to include insurance charges, and an invoice for USD 226,012.76 was issued.
Four days later, the investor wired USD 225,968.64 to the company’s bank account. The gold never arrived, and subsequent attempts to reach the sellers failed.
Police say Ochanda was a signatory to the account that received the funds.
He is currently in custody and is expected to be arraigned on Monday, August 18, 2025.
The arrest comes amid a series of crackdowns targeting criminal syndicates exploiting Kenya’s reputation as a gold transit hub to swindle foreign investors.
