DCI bust two women attempting to smuggle gold at JKIA to Dubai
DCI bust two women attempting to smuggle gold at JKIA to Dubai
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has arrested two women at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for allegedly trying to smuggle gold out of the country.
The DCI said the two women were trying to smuggle over 658 grammes of gold to Dubai when they were intercepted.
In a statement on Sunday, September 6, the detectives said the incident happened on Friday, September 4, when a multi-agency team at the JKIA foiled the smuggling attempt.
According to the statement, officers subjected the two women to a search, leading to the recovery of the suspected precious mineral concealed in unusual ways.
“Two women are behind bars after a multi-agency team at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) foiled an alleged attempt to smuggle 658 grams of gold out of the country,” DCI stated.
One of the suspects was allegedly found with a gold bar weighing 541 grams concealed in her hair. The bar had reportedly been wrapped with a hairband and tucked beneath her hijab.
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Her counterpart, however, was found concealing a gold pellet weighing 116.79 grams, bringing the total weight of the mineral to 658 grams.
The two suspects were subsequently taken into custody and are undergoing processing pending arraignment as investigations into the alleged smuggling attempt continue.
JKIA has come into the spotlight for being used as a key route to smuggle gold and other minerals, as well as to transport drugs.
In July 2026, anti-illegal Mining and Smuggling officers intercepted 54,805 kilograms of gold bars valued at roughly KSh 1 billion, slated for illegal export to Dubai without paying 4 per cent royalties. The incident also led yo arrest of two suspects of Somali origin.
In April this year, the Anti-Narcotics Unit also seized methamphetamine bound for the Philippines in two packages: 1,730 grams hidden in car pistons from Tanzania and 1,020 grams traced from Juja.
The DCI has maintained its commitment to protecting Kenya’s mineral resources from illegal exploitation and from criminal networks involved in the smuggling of precious minerals.
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