DCI Deports 19 Chinese Nationals Linked to Alleged Cyber Fraud Syndicate

Kenyan authorities have deported 19 Chinese nationals accused of involvement in alleged cybercrime-related offences following an investigation into what police say was a suspected international cyber fraud syndicate operating from Nairobi.

The group, made up of 18 men and one woman, left the country on Friday, July 10, 2026, in a joint operation conducted by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the Department of Immigration.

Authorities said the deportation was carried out without any security incidents after the suspects remained in custody at Kilimani Police Station.

The deportation followed an intelligence-led operation conducted on July 6 by detectives attached to the DCI’s Kilimani unit, working alongside officials from the Chinese Embassy.

According to police, detectives raided an apartment along Kindaruma Road in Nairobi’s Kilimani neighbourhood after receiving intelligence about suspected cybercrime activities.

Investigators said they discovered what they described as an active cyber fraud workstation allegedly being used to target accounts outside Kenya while routing funds through the country before cashing them.

All 19 Chinese nationals were arrested during the operation, although police believe several other occupants escaped before or during the raid.

The investigation widened after detectives searched three additional apartments within the same residential complex that are believed to have been occupied by members of the suspected syndicate.

Police recovered a large quantity of equipment believed to have been used in the alleged cybercrime operation.

Among the items seized were seven CPUs, 11 Samsung desktop computers, 16 laptops, 17 keyboards, 19 computer mice, 18 USB-C ports, four uninterruptible power supply (UPS) units, three Safaricom Wi-Fi routers, extension cables, chargers and other electronic accessories.

Detectives also recovered 26 mobile phones, including 18 iPhones, seven Huawei handsets and one Redmi device.

Authorities further seized 39 Chinese passports and seven Malaysian passports, a discovery investigators say points to possible links involving multiple foreign nationals.

Cash recovered during the raid included Sh293,000 in Kenyan currency and 22 banknotes of 20,000 Malagasy ariary.

Preliminary investigations indicate that the suspects had entered Kenya within the past month after travelling from several countries, including China, Malaysia, Cambodia and Madagascar.

Crime scene investigators documented and processed the apartment before the suspects were taken into custody pending further action.

Although the 19 Chinese nationals have now been deported, investigators say the case remains active.

Authorities are continuing efforts to determine the full scale of the suspected cyber fraud operation, identify any Kenyan collaborators, trace financial transactions and locate suspects who escaped during the raid.

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