from MARIA MACHARIA in Nairobi, Kenya
NAIROBI, (CAJ News) – KENYAN authorities have arrested 15 local women allegedly smuggling gold and jewellery through the country’s main airport.
Customs officers of the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) intercepted the females at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), with the illicit gems weighing 4,88 kilogramme.
The women were, according to the agency, part of a group of approximately 30 female travellers who were departing from Nairobi to Mumbai, India through Doha.
During a body search, officers in conjunction with the Multi-Agency team discovered the undeclared gold and jewellery from some of these passengers.
The women were subsequently asked to cancel the flight to allow for further investigations.
The travellers are allegedly directly associated to three female travellers earlier intercepted entering Mumbai with approximate 1kg of gold in August.
Lilian Nyawanda, KRA Commissioner for Customs and Border Control, confirmed the arrests.
“KRA encourages passengers to declare all cargo/items at the Ports of entry and exit as required under the provisions of the Second and Third Schedules of the EAC Customs Management Act, 2004,” she said.
A report by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime (GI-TOC) in May identified East Africa’s biggest economy as degenerating into a regional hub for smuggling of illicit gold.
– CAJ News