The Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have been placed on high alert over a renowned gold smuggler Lionel Crochet who is a French national.
Crochet who is believed to be well connected to several influential billionaires in Europe, especially Monaco, France and Belgium through his gold and firearm business, managed to smuggle a large consignment of gold suspected to be more than 250 kilograms from Kenya to Dubai between April and May this year.
Upon arrival in Dubai, the consignment was detained because of his criminal record in the Middle East country where he was arrested and jailed for five years some years back due to money laundering and smuggling and was later deported after finishing his jail term.
It’s believed that the smooth operator who boasts of corrupting the ‘high and the mighty’ to offer him protection, has turned Kenya as his new base of operations.
Alleged gold smuggler Lionel Crochet a French national is a wanted man.
He is also suspected to have links with the dreaded M23 rebel group in Democratic Republic of Congo who he is believed to be one of their financiers.
One of his close ally is a liquid USA-based lawyer only known as Recce who is also being investigated for money laundering issues both in the USA and Middle East as well as several African countries. Crochet also has close ties with shrewd Congolese nationals Mabila and Jean Paul who have yet exited Kenya due to the same criminal trade.
Investigations are currently underway to ascertain the existence of some consignment that are still hidden in Nairobi under the custody of Crochet.
