Part I: Nairobi-Based Scammers Running International Fraud Ring Using Fake Melpa Cargo Portfolio to Target Gold Buyers

A sophisticated criminal network operating out of Nairobi is running an international fraud scheme using a fake logistics company, Melpa Limited, as its cover.

A whistle-blower who contacted Kenya Insights shared internal shipment databases, customer lists, and detailed OSINT profiles suggestive of a sprawling gold scam operation that stretches from Kenya to Europe, the Middle East, the United States and the United Kingdom.

What appears at first glance to be a legitimate freight forwarder is, according to the leaked material, a carefully engineered façade built to deceive foreign investors into wiring huge sums for gold consignments that never existed.

The confidential files contain real names, contact numbers, parcel tracking logs, shipping “confirmations,” and manipulated documents designed to impersonate genuine logistics activity.

At the centre of this elaborate scheme is a Nairobi-based website that looks like any other cargo company.

Melpa Limited advertises decades of experience, customs clearance expertise and international warehousing.

It lists a Nairobi address near the airport and offers tracking services. Yet according to domain records examined by this reporter, the site was only registered in 2023.

The operators keep shifting it across hosting providers, most recently relying on servers in Switzerland after abandoning CloudFlare.

Even their mail server is routed through an Africa-based provider known for handling obscure or anonymised domains.

The digital gymnastics alone raised concern. But the leaked data reveals something far more serious.

A Gold Scam Disguised as Cargo Shipping

The CSV files provided show dozens of supposed “shipments” that were presented to victims as sealed cargo containing gold bars or bullion awaiting export.

Victims were persuaded to send large amounts of money for freight, insurance, clearance and verification fees.

In one case a victim reportedly lost more than 100,000 dollars and was asked for an additional half a million dollars to allegedly “release” the cargo.

Cross-checking the patterns in these documents with known gold scam cases in Nairobi shows unmistakable similarities.

Police have repeatedly arrested individuals who stage sophisticated fake gold operations using warehouses, branded boxes and counterfeit mineral certificates.

In Lang’ata last year officers recovered sand-filled boxes packaged as gold, bogus assay reports and forged export papers.

In other cases foreign investors were tricked into paying hundreds of thousands of dollars for shipments that turned out to contain scrap metal or stones.

The Melpa files appear to reflect these techniques but on a more organised and international scale.

The Alleged Key Figures

According to the OSINT profiles provided, several individuals are repeatedly linked to the Melpa operation. They include:

James Mabele Magio, described by the whistle-blower as a Kenyan political aspirant for the 2027 race. His name appears in communication logs and shipment clearances where he allegedly acted as a fixer for foreign clients.

Markos S Baghdasarian, an Armenian American with a known criminal history in the United States. Public records show he once served a prison sentence for involvement in shipping petroleum products to Iran without proper licensing while associated with Delfin Group Inc. The whistle-blower believes he now plays a strategic or financial role in the Nairobi operation.

Richard J Mukurumbira, a UK-based associate who appears in email chains involving payment routing and offshore “escrow” arrangements.

Raguel Mungli, described as a Nairobi contact who allegedly coordinates client interactions and forwards the forged documents that reassure victims their shipments are real.

The identities were cross referenced with available public records and the patterns indicate that these individuals may not be ordinary scammers. Some have international histories that suggest the operation could be part of a broader financial or criminal network.

A Hidden Network Behind a Polished Front

One of the most striking aspects of the leaked material is how professional the system looks on the surface.

The forged documents include branded airway bills, export stamps, verification receipts and shipment movement logs.

The company’s website mirrors the design of a legitimate freight firm and uses the same style of corporate language.

Even the Nairobi address is copied from an established logistics firm in the city.

Gold bars.

The whistle-blower believes the operators deliberately imitate genuine cargo companies to confuse investigators and reassure victims who attempt basic due diligence.

Most victims, especially those contacting from abroad, assume they are dealing with a legitimate Nairobi freight handler.

The customer list itself raises further alarm. Some names belong to individuals previously associated with fraud investigations or suspicious business activity.

The whistle-blower, who has given more files not yet disclosed, believes Melpa is only one small part of a much larger network involving both local and foreign actors, including businessmen, political hopefuls and individuals with prior criminal records.

Why Authorities Need to Act Quickly

Kenya’s gold scam industry has grown increasingly complex and is now bankrolled by networks that study how to exploit weak regulation, broken international cooperation and the willingness of victims to believe that Nairobi is a major hub for gold exports.

This case stands out because of its structure.

It is not a scam run from a single apartment or a random office.

It uses a corporate identity, international hosting infrastructure, coordinated digital records, multiple jurisdictions and individuals with foreign criminal history.

If the leaked documents are genuine, then Nairobi may be hosting one of the most organised gold fraud rings in recent years.

The revelations call for a full investigation by DCI’s Financial Crimes Unit, the Anti Narcotics and Organised Crime Directorate, Interpol’s regional desk and even foreign agencies with jurisdiction over international fraud and money transfers.

Victims are often reluctant to speak publicly, which helps the scammers.

The whistle-blower who shared this information claims to have lost contact with one victim who disappeared after losing more than 100,000 dollars.

That individual was allegedly pressured repeatedly to send additional money to “release” a shipment that likely never existed.

A Scam Hiding in Plain Sight

The Melpa case highlights a worrying shift in Nairobi’s criminal landscape.

Fraud rings are moving beyond crude fake offices and adopting corporate identities, international infrastructure and global coordination.

The whistle-blower has indicated that more files exist, including bank transfer records and communications between the alleged organisers. This investigation will continue as the material is examined in detail.