Make cybercrime a most expensive affair

Homicide investigators in this country have, of late, been in the news for all the good reasons: Cracking murder case after murder case. In the years past, some of these cases would have been too complex to solve. It is a welcome break from the many days of politicking on BBI and other mundane issues.

Taking a cue from the early 20th Century character Sherlock Holmes, the fictional private detective created by British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, murder investigations apply proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and logical reasoning. Aided by technological advancement, no case should be too difficult for the crime busters.

The dead don’t speak; it is the living who speak for them. Through technological applications, we have seen the homicide officers crack the cases of a school principal murdered by his wife, also a principal; a son slain by his wealthy father in Nyeri; and the Kitengela kidnap and murder of eight-year-old Shantel Nzembi.

With technological evidence now available, the culprits will not get away with murder and, hopefully, justice will be served to the victims and their families. What does not add up is when one of the criminals in the murder cases gets away with a lesser jail term by simply opting to become a prosecution witness in the crime they helped to commit. It is a blot on the otherwise good work of the investigators.

Mulot scammers

It is also disheartening that Kenyans continue to lose money to telephone conmen and scammers who easily get away with the crime. Oftentimes, we read of the daring Mulot scammers. They prey on innocent people and the gullible phone users, sweeping their bank accounts clean by taking out mobile loans illegally.

Sadly, it is reported that the scammers are primary school dropouts. This category of people has nothing to lose if arrested and sent to jail and they will commit the crimes again.

Many Kenyans have been left crying with no one to help them when they fall prey to the thugs. Many others don’t even report their cases to the police and suffer silently. They claim that it is futile to follow up the cases.

Efforts to net these criminals and bring them to book always come to nought despite spending a lot of money on the case. When the conmen are finally traced, one will be required to cough up more money to go and ferry them to face justice. 

Sadly, the telcos’ law enforcement liaison offices just exist in name and will not help much. The best they will tell a victim is to report their case to the police.

In the case of Shantel, I am sure had the culprits taken the ransom and spared the young girl, nothing much would have been heard of the matter again.

It is time cybercrime was made an expensive undertaking through heavily punishing the perpetrators. The crime thrives because culprits go unpunished.

Ngure Kamau, Nyandarua