The alleged mastermind of an avocado painting scam in Murang’a County has been arrested.
Days after a victim of the scam shared how traders at Kaharati market paint unripened and rotten avocados and sell them to unsuspecting buyers, police officers raided the market and arrested several suspected traders.
Among them was an elderly man said to be the ring leader of the avocado-painting racket. A video shared online captured the authorities exposing the man and illustrating how some of the fruits had been painted.
In the video, an official in a suit notes that the scam also involves bananas that are injected with chemicals to appear ripe.
“We want Kenyans to see the person selling people-painted avocadoes. You guys are doing dangerous business and endangering Kenyans’ lives. There are also bananas that you might think are ripened but have been injected with chemicals. Let us do legitimate business,” the man urges the traders.
He adds: “We also have avocadoes stolen from farms. You must stop it.”
Watch the video below.
