NAIROBI, Kenya — Four Chinese nationals have been arrested in Nairobi over an alleged SIM-swapping and money-laundering scheme that hijacked a local businesswoman’s mobile lines to siphon illicit funds.
The investigation began after the woman discovered that her two Safaricom lines had suddenly stopped working, cutting off her ability to make calls and access M-Pesa services.
She reported the incident to police, prompting detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Parklands to launch investigations into the suspected SIM swap.
According to detectives, the compromised lines were subsequently linked to transactions involving funds from a gaming and betting platform. The money was allegedly moved shortly after being received through mobile numbers and bank accounts associated with the suspects.
The investigation led to the arrest of Xiaoling Gu, Guodong Fu, Wenji Gao and Gu Xiaopeng.
A search of premises linked to the suspects reportedly resulted in the recovery of 15 Safaricom SIM cards and nine Airtel SIM cards registered in different names, as well as six SIM cards belonging to foreign nationals.
Detectives also recovered six mobile phones, laptops and three ATM cards registered to different account holders, alongside KSh1,125,800 in cash.
The items are being treated as potential evidence as investigators work to establish how the SIM cards and financial accounts were allegedly used in the suspected fraud network.
The four suspects were arraigned before the Kibra Chief Magistrate’s Court on September 1, 2026.
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They remain in custody pending a ruling on their bond application, which is scheduled for September 4.
Investigators are continuing to trace the movement of the funds and establish whether other individuals were involved in the alleged scheme.
Detectives are also pursuing additional leads that could result in further arrests as they seek to establish the full extent of the suspected network.
The suspects have not been convicted, and the allegations against them will be subject to determination through the court process.
