Two women were arrested at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) after detectives allegedly intercepted them with nearly 658 grams of suspected gold concealed on their bodies as they prepared to fly to Dubai.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said the suspects were intercepted in the early hours of September 4, 2026, while preparing to board an Emirates flight.
According to police, the women came under scrutiny during an airport security operation and were subjected to a search that led to the discovery of two separate consignments of suspected gold.
One of the suspects was allegedly carrying a gold bar weighing 541 grams. Investigators said the bar had been concealed in her hair, wrapped with a hairband and tucked beneath her hijab.
Police said the second suspect had concealed a gold pellet weighing 116.79 grams inside her bra.
The two consignments had a combined weight of approximately 658 grams.
“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,” the DCI said.
The suspects were taken into custody and were undergoing processing pending arraignment as investigations continued.
Police said detectives were seeking to establish the source of the suspected gold and determine whether the two women were acting alone or were couriers for a wider mineral-smuggling network.
The DCI said the operation formed part of intensified efforts by law enforcement agencies to disrupt the illegal extraction, trade and movement of precious minerals through Kenya.
“The DCI, working jointly with multi-agency partners, remains relentless in dismantling illegal mining and mineral smuggling networks, protecting Kenya’s precious natural resources from criminal exploitation,” the agency said.
The JKIA interception comes amid growing concern over illicit gold trafficking in Kenya and the country’s role as a transit point for precious minerals from other parts of the region.
Kenya sits close to several mineral-producing countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan, and has increasingly featured in regional gold trading networks. Some of the gold moving through the region is believed to be destined for international markets, including Dubai.
The illicit trade has raised concerns over lost government revenue, inadequate oversight and the use of informal networks to move minerals across borders. Authorities have also warned that illegal mineral trading can provide channels for money laundering and other forms of organised crime.
A 2025 SwissAid report estimated that more than two tonnes of gold could be leaving Kenya illicitly each year, compared with 672 kilogrammes of declared gold exports in 2023.
The reported gap has intensified calls for stronger regulation, better tracking of mineral shipments and tighter controls at entry and exit points.
