Police in Eldoret have seized millions of shillings in suspected counterfeit US dollars and local currency after intercepting an abandoned Toyota Land Cruiser Prado along the Teleview-Sugunanga road. One suspect is in custody, while detectives continue tracking a second man who fled on foot during the patrol operation.
The operation began when officers on routine patrol flagged down the high-end vehicle for a routine inspection. Rather than complying, two occupants abandoned the car at the roadside and ran into nearby alleyways. Officers secured the vehicle and towed it to Sugunanga Police Station, where a search of the interior revealed two heavy metal safes locked inside the rear compartment.
Because the safes were secured with high-grade locking mechanisms, investigators moved to obtain legal authorization before forcing entry. The Eldoret Law Courts subsequently issued a court order permitting officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and officials from the State Department of Public Works to break open the containers.
The safes were opened in the presence of forensic investigators and police commanders. Inside, officers extracted Ksh 2.615 million in Kenyan bank notes alongside thick bundles of foreign currency in hundred-dollar denominations, estimated at $2.58 million (approximately Ksh 334 million). Preliminary field assessments indicate that the bulk of the US dollar notes are high-grade counterfeits.
All recovered notes have been handed over to experts at the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) for formal forensic analysis to confirm their exact authenticity and evaluate the printing technology used. Detectives are also auditing the vehicle’s registration, chassis, and engine numbers to trace the registered owner and determine whether the SUV was hired, stolen, or operating under forged license plates.
Counterfeit currency operations—frequently linked to “wash-wash” syndicates—often rely on major highway transit corridors like the Nairobi-Eldoret highway to transport bulk fake cash away from capital scrutiny. The recovery has prompted police to issue a public caution to traders, forex bureaus, and hospitality venues in Uasin Gishu County to maintain strict currency verification procedures.
The suspect arrested following the initial getaway is held at Sugunanga Police Station and is scheduled to be arraigned at the Eldoret Law Courts once preliminary charges are finalized. Meanwhile, DCI teams have expanded their search to locate the second fleeing suspect and map out the distribution network behind the seized funds.
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