Ulundu Patrick Lumumba alias Gabriel Kulonda alias Lumumba Patrick Byarufu , the prime suspect in a Ksh151 million scam where two containers filled with sand declared as Tantalum minerals were intercepted in the port of Mombasa has been arrested.
Lumumba was cornered along Harambee Avenue in Nairobi by the Operations Support Unit (OSU) of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) moments after he arrived in the country from Entebbe, Uganda on Friday, April 5, 2024.

The suspect had earlier evaded detection by Immigration officials at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) where a Stop Order had been placed on his passport number OPO256544 in the names of Gabriel Kulonda Ilungu.While reentering the country, the suspect used a Ugandan Interstate pass card no. 020841009 in the names of Lumumba Patrick Byarufu, and upon arrest was also found in possession of yet another Congolese Passport number OPO792312 in the names of Patrick Ulundu Lumumba.Lumumba is accused of swindling a female Chinese national Ksh151 million after one of three containers declared to contain tantalum minerals was opened in China, only to be found loaded with drums of sand, triggering investigations at the port of Mombasa, the transit route. In the preliminary stages, two 20ft containers also containing sand had been found at the Mombasa port, before detectives intercepted a third one (40ft) at a warehouse still at the port. Surprisingly, the 40ft container had passed the entire verification processes without any documentation. This totaled to six, the number of containers of sand declared as tantalum minerals.

Detectives have since discovered that already two more containers had been cleared and shipped to Dubai, and efforts are underway to have them intercepted. Investigations have also been launched against port officials believed to have compromised security checks to facilitate the illegal business.

Acting swiftly, detectives were able to freeze the account in which the Ksh151 million was deposited into. However, the syndicate had already obtained over Ksh49 million working in collaboration with suspected rogue bank officials who according to the DCI are under active investigations.

The suspect will be arraigned at Milimani Law Court on Friday, April 5.