Budalang’i MP Aspirant James Mabele Named Among Nairobi-Based Gold Scammers Allegedly Running International Fraud Ring Targeting Foreign Investors

Budalang’i MP Aspirant James Mabele  has been named among Nairobi-Based Gold Scammers Allegedly Running International Fraud Ring Targeting Foreign Investors.

 According to confidential documents obtained by Kenya Insights, the operation uses a logistics company, Melpha Limited, as a front to defraud foreign investors across Europe, the Middle East, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

The whistle-blower who provided the documents shared internal shipment databases, customer lists, and detailed OSINT profiles indicating a sophisticated fraud network. 

What initially appears as a legitimate freight forwarding firm, Melpha Limited, is reportedly a carefully crafted façade designed to convince investors to wire large sums for gold consignments that never existed.

The leaked files contain real names, contact numbers, parcel tracking logs, “shipping confirmations,” and forged documents mimicking genuine logistics activity.

 Victims were led to believe they were dealing with a fully licensed cargo company. Melpha Limited advertises decades of experience, customs clearance expertise, and international warehousing. Its website lists a Nairobi office near the airport and offers tracking services.

 However, domain records reveal that the website was only registered in 2023. The operators frequently change hosting providers, most recently moving to servers in Switzerland, and route emails through a provider in Africa known for anonymous domain registration.

According to the CSV files and shipment logs, victims were persuaded to pay money for freight, insurance, clearance, and verification fees. In one documented case, a victim reportedly lost over $100,000 and was subsequently asked for $500,000 to “release” the supposed gold cargo. Patterns in these documents closely mirror previous Nairobi-based gold scam cases, suggesting the operation’s methods are well-tested and coordinated.

Key Alleged Figures

The whistle-blower’s OSINT profiles repeatedly mention several individuals allegedly involved in the operation. Among them is James Mabele Magio, the Budalang’i MP aspirant, whose name appears in communications and shipment clearance documents, reportedly acting as a fixer for foreign clients.

Other alleged key figures include Markos S Baghdasarian, an Armenian-American with a criminal record in the United States for illicit shipping of petroleum products to Iran, and believed to play a strategic or financial role in the Nairobi operation. Richard J Mukurumbira, a UK-based associate, appears in email chains involving offshore “escrow” arrangements and payment routing.

 Locally, Raguel Mungli allegedly coordinates client interactions and forwards forged documents, maintaining the illusion that shipments are legitimate.

Cross-referencing public records indicates these individuals are not ordinary scammers. Their international histories suggest the operation could be part of a broader financial and criminal network spanning multiple countries.

Professional Facade and Victim Manipulation

One of the most striking aspects of the leaked materials is how professional the system appears. Forged documents include branded airway bills, export stamps, verification receipts, and shipment movement logs. The company’s website mirrors the design and corporate language of genuine freight firms. 

According to the whistle-blower, this deliberate imitation is intended to confuse investigators and reassure victims attempting basic due diligence.

Most victims, particularly those based overseas, were reportedly convinced they were engaging with a legitimate Nairobi freight dealer. Alarmingly, some names on the customer list were previously associated with fraud investigations or other suspicious business activity.

The whistle-blower, who has shared additional files yet to be disclosed, believes Melpha Limited is just one component of a much larger network involving both local and foreign actors, including businessmen, political hopefuls, and individuals with prior criminal records.

Our attempts to reach some of the individuals mentioned in the report, including James Mabele Magio, for comments proved futile, as they did not respond to our calls or messages.