NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 6 — A multi-agency security operation has arrested at least 29 people, including three chiefs, in a sweeping crackdown targeting criminal networks behind the forgery of crucial documents across the country.
The intelligence-led operation, conducted over the past week, spanned Nairobi and several rural towns.
Police said the three chiefs were allegedly involved in fabricating citizenship documents, a crime authorities warn poses serious risks to national security.
Officials involved in the operation noted that the syndicate’s activities exposed both the public and the country to significant dangers.
“Citizenship documents must be protected, and that is why we are determined to crack this gang,” an official involved in the operation said on Saturday.
Among those arrested was a terror suspect found in possession of a crucial forged document. Authorities said individuals who assisted him in acquiring the document are still being pursued.
Police spokesman Muchiri Nyaga said the crackdown is being expanded.
“These people need to know what awaits them. It amounts to, among other crimes, economic sabotage,” he said, adding that several recovered fake documents had already been destroyed.
Investigators said the forged documents — including land title deeds, birth certificates, identification cards, and government letterheads — have caused significant financial losses to individuals and institutions, with some banks left servicing loans based on fraudulent paperwork.
“They have also defrauded unsuspecting Kenyans of millions of shillings. We are pursuing more suspects involved in these cases,” an officer familiar with the investigations said.
The arrested individuals are being held at various police stations and are expected to be arraigned. Multiple investigations by a joint agency team are ongoing to dismantle the networks responsible.
