Two Women Arrested at JKIA Over Alleged Gold Smuggling to Dubai

Two women have been arrested at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) for allegedly attempting to smuggle gold to Dubai.

The suspects were intercepted on Friday, 4 September, during a joint operation involving several agencies stationed at the airport, according to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI). A search of the women uncovered gold concealed in unusual ways. One suspect had a 541-gramme bar hidden beneath her hijab and secured with a hairband. 

Her accomplice was carrying a 116.79-gramme pellet. The two items had a combined weight of 658 grammes. The suspects were taken into custody and are being processed for arraignment as detectives continue their investigations.

The arrests add to a series of mineral and narcotics seizures at JKIA in recent years. In July, officers intercepted more than 54,000 kilogrammes of gold bars valued at about KSh1 billion. The gold was allegedly being taken to Dubai without payment of the required statutory royalties.

In April, anti-narcotics officers also seized methamphetamine concealed in car pistons. Investigators traced the packages to Juja. The DCI has said it is committed to preventing the illegal exploitation and movement of Kenya’s mineral resources. Authorities have warned that mineral smuggling deprives the government of revenue and can support transnational organised crime.

The latest case involved a smaller quantity of gold than some previous seizures, but investigators say it demonstrates the concealment methods used by traffickers to evade detection. The investigation into the two suspects is continuing as authorities assess possible links to wider smuggling networks and examine vulnerabilities in the monitoring of mineral exports through JKIA.