Chinese under Kenyan cyber crime probe

China's foreign ministry said it was aware of the arrests and would cooperate with the Kenyan authorities.

The Chinese community in Kenya, as in other African nations, has grown with the expansion in trade and aid from the Asian giant.

"The Kenyan police have detained our clients for further investigations," said lawyer Ian Maina, who represents 40 of them. Another lawyer, Tom Wachakana, represents 36.

The lawyers said police were investigating allegations of involvement in cyber crime, breaking Kenya's communications rules by operating private radio broadcasting services and being in the country unlawfully.

They said their clients, detained on Tuesday and Wednesday in a residential district of Nairobi, had not been formally charged and bail had been requested.

"We will also continue to proactively cooperate with Kenyan police to carry out the investigation," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said. "The initial determination is that this could be a telecommunications fraud case."