Four Chinese nationals arrested in Kenya for alleged betting-linked SIM swap case
The compromised mobile lines were reportedly used to receive funds from a gaming and betting platform, which were then transferred through other accounts.
Kenya.- Kenyan authorities have arrested four Chinese nationals over an alleged SIM-swapping operation in which hijacked mobile lines were used to receive funds from a gaming and betting platform.
The investigation began after a businesswoman discovered that her two Safaricom mobile lines had stopped working, preventing her from making calls and accessing M-Pesa services. She reported the incident to police, prompting detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Parklands office to investigate how the lines had been disconnected and whether they had been compromised.
According to the DCI, investigators established that the woman’s mobile lines had allegedly been used to receive funds from a gaming and betting platform. The money was subsequently transferred through other mobile numbers and bank accounts linked to the suspects.
The investigation led detectives to four Chinese nationals identified as Xiaoling Gu, Guodong Fu, Wenji Gao and Gu Xiaopeng.
Detectives searched the suspects’ premises following the arrests and recovered a total of 24 SIM cards. The haul included 15 Safaricom SIM cards and nine Airtel SIM cards registered under different names, as well as six SIM cards belonging to foreign nationals.
The search also uncovered six mobile phones, laptops and three ATM cards registered to different account holders. Detectives further seized KSh1,125,800 (US$8,696) in cash.
The four suspects appeared before the Kibra Chief Magistrate’s Court on September 1, 2026. They remain in custody, with the court expected to rule on their bond applications on September 4.
The DCI said its investigation has not ended, with detectives continuing to follow the movement of the funds and examining additional leads that could result in more arrests.
SIM swapping involves taking control of a victim’s mobile number by transferring it to another SIM card. Once successful, the takeover can allow criminals to intercept calls and messages and potentially gain access to mobile-money or other services linked to the number.
The DCI has asked members of the public with information on the case or other criminal activity to report it anonymously through its toll-free hotline or WhatsApp.
