Police said Monday they would continue holding Pascaline Peter, the woman they arrested last week for allegedly defrauding Kenyans Ksh.350 million in a real estate investment scam, for 30 more days pending further investigations.

Ms Peter, also identified by the alias Passy Ma Trevor, was arrested Thursday in Kantafu, Machakos County and is accused of real estate fraud and running a multi-million-shilling shylock.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said its detectives at Nairobi’s Kasarani Sub-County headquarters were granted a 30-day custodial order by the Makadara Law Courts to continue holding the 36-year-old.

“The artifice affecting over 300 Kenyans who lost millions of shillings has seen the detectives record statements from over sixty victims with the number expected to quadruple over the course of time,” DCI said in an X post.

“The detectives will be seeking to among others gather more evidence on the fraud to ensure that a watertight case is presented before court to ensure justice is served to all.”

Police say the self-proclaimed businesswoman managed and rented out people's money through an illegal money-lending institution.

Ms Peter reportedly ran an investment scheme where she took money from investors and promised them a 30 per cent return on their savings, "but once payments were made, she switched off her mobile phone and went into hiding." 

According to the police, most of her victims hail from Nairobi, Kajiado, Machakos, and Kiambu counties.