Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigators (DCI) posed as interns at the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) offices as they investigated a syndicate of tax evasion that has cost the country billions in revenue.
According to reports by the Standard, DCI realised that the only way to bust the cartel is to have an inside mole who could help with investigators crack the case.
When KRA announced openings for interns four months ago, the detectives saw a God-sent moment to plant their investigators without raising eyebrows.
That is how several employees at the country’s revenue collector were fingered for arrests before a swoop was finally done on Friday, May 10.
Up to 40 managers and supervisors at the domestic tax department had been arrested by Friday afternoon as DCI George Kinoti said his officers were out hunting for more suspects.
“Following the KRA operation, out of a target of 75 suspects, 41 have been arrested, phones and other electronic gadgets they used to commit fraud and theft confiscated, servers linked to their communication seized for forensic analysis,” Kinoti said.
He added: “More arrests and recovery are anticipated.”
On top of the crimes being investigated by the detectives are tax evasion, money laundering, abuse of office, demanding and soliciting bribes and conspiracy to commit economic crimes.