Two Iranians Arrested for Allegedly Conning Shopkeepers in Thika

Police in Thika have arrested two Iranian nationals for an alleged conning scheme that previously left a Kenyan trader Ksh.15,000 poorer.

The suspects, 56-year-old Heidari Mansoior Eslam and his 40-year-old accomplice Babaei Ahmad Mirzaaga, were arrested after walking into a mobile phone shop in Thika Town and posing as genuine customers interested in buying a handset.

According to police and eyewitness accounts, the shopkeeper grew suspicious as the two interacted inside the shop. He said their appearance and behaviour seemed familiar and immediately reminded him of foreigners who had allegedly been linked to similar theft and con incidents reported in town weeks earlier.

The shop attendant trusted his instincts and discreetly contacted another trader in the area, a shopkeeper who had previously fallen victim to a similar con, asking him to come and help confirm the suspects’ identity.

Minutes later, the second shopkeeper arrived and immediately recognised the two foreigners, positively identifying them as the individuals who had allegedly swindled him during an earlier encounter.

The victim said he lost Ksh. 15,000 through their tactics and promptly raised alarm, attracting other traders and members of the public.

Within a short time, a crowd gathered and tensions quickly escalated, with angry residents threatening to take matters into their own hands. However, police officers responded swiftly, intervening in time and rescuing the suspects from a potential mob attack before placing them under arrest.

The two were then escorted to Thika Police Station, where they are being held as investigations continue ahead of their expected arraignment in court.

The incident comes months after Thika Town Today - 3T, on November 13, 2025, issued a public warning alerting traders about foreigners who were reportedly moving around Thika Town conning shopkeepers using a highly coordinated trick.

In the warning shared by 3T, residents were cautioned that the scammers would enter a shop, pick an item and pay with a Sh1,000 note, only to later create confusion and pressure the seller into refunding the money, then suddenly “change their mind” and still take the product after already pocketing cash and change.

3T warned traders that the trick relied on confusion, loud complaints and pressure to make shop owners lose both the product and money before realising what has happened.