A Chinese national is counting losses after two containers which were supposed to deliver tantalum minerals were found to be filled with sand soil.
According to preliminary reports, the Kenyan businessmen had convinced the buyer that they had procured the said precious minerals from Congo.
From Congo, the minerals were to be shipped to China to the new owner who was unaware of the scheme.
However, detectives at the Port of Mombasa suspected the consignment and forced the management to open the two containers.
In utter disbelief, they found that they found reconditioned metallic drums which were loaded with sand as tantalum minerals.
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The DCI officers believe the two containers were just about to be shipped to China.
A Chinese businessman is said to have deposited Ksh151 million, only for one container to land in China loaded with soil instead of the said minerals.
He tipped the detectives who then unravelled the well-choreographed scheme which they believe senior officials from the port were involved in.
Preliminary investigations also revealed that the said businessmen are believed to have shifted operations from Nairobi Kilimani Estate to Mombasa. Kilimani was in the past exposed for being at the centre of fake gold operations in the country.
Despite the discovery of the consignment, detectives are still pursuing leads to arrest the person who was contracted by the Chinese national and paid Ksh151 million upfront.
