Three university students detained for suspected electronic fraud

Kiambu court has allowed police to detain three university students for 10 days on suspicion of electronic fraud.

The students, Kevin Munga Oroko, Ian Aundo Kinanga and Jefferson B. Asiago, were found in possession of over 1,000 assorted sim cards, laptops and identity cards of unknown people at Highpoint Estate of Juja Sub-County, Kiambu County.

Kiambu Senior Resident Magistrate Grace Omodho granted the orders to Constable Mohammed Amin to detain the students at Muthaiga police station until he completes his investigations.

Amin had earlier made a miscellaneous application, No 156 of 2020, to be allowed ample time to hold the suspects in police custody in line with the constitutional requirement that bars police from detaining suspects for 24 hours without arraigning them in court.

In the application, Constable Amin told the court that he intended to access cyber reports from the electronic gadgets recovered from the respondents, get a report from the service providers regarding the sim cards’ registration and also the bank accounts’ details of all the stolen ID cards recovered in their possession.

The investigating officer currently attached to the Directorate of Criminal Investigation, Serious Crime Unit (cyber investigations) further explained to the court that on May 14, 2020, at about 7.00 am, acting on an intelligence report, a team of cyber-crime investigators were dispatched to Juja town where it was alleged that individuals were conducting criminal activities over the internet.

He swore in his affidavit that on reaching the suspects’ residence within Highpoint Juja, the trio was arrested and upon search, the electronic gadgets were recovered and that they could not explain satisfactorily what mission they were up to.

Constable Amin said physical analysis of the said gadgets recovered showed messages and WhatsApp chats of how the suspects made money from unsuspecting members of the public and that the money was being sent through bitcoins to conceal their tracks.

He further told the magistrate that the suspects were flight risks and that if granted bail, they would jeopardize the investigations. They also lived in rental premises from where they could easily relocate.

Their case will be mentioned on May 25, 2020, when they will either be released or be charged with the offence of Electronic Fraud under section 84B of the communication and Information Act.