Two women arrested at JKIA with 658 grams of suspected gold concealed under hijab, in bra

Two women were apprehended at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on September 6, 2023, with a suspected 658 grams of gold concealed beneath their hijabs and in their bras, according to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI). The suspects were stopped early Friday as they attempted to board an Emirates flight to Dubai.

Authorities recovered a 541-gram gold bar hidden in one suspect's hair, wrapped with a hairband and tucked under her hijab, and a 116.79-gram gold pellet concealed inside the other suspect's bra, bringing the total weight of the confiscated gold to approximately 658 grams. The DCI stated that the two women are currently in custody and are being processed ahead of their arraignment, as investigations into the alleged mineral-smuggling operation continue.

The arrests come amid the government's intensified efforts to disrupt networks involved in illegal extraction and movement of precious minerals through international travel routes. The DCI is collaborating with multi-agency partners to dismantle illegal mining and mineral-smuggling networks and safeguard Kenya's natural resources from criminal exploitation.