Tanzanian arrested at JKIA with Ksh.100M smuggled gold

A Tanzanian national was arrested at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport with smuggled gold worth Ksh.100 million.

The Kenya Revenue Authority on Wednesday, February 21, said the 46-year-old man had arrived from Mwanza, Tanzania via Kilimanjaro and was heading to Dubai.

According to KRA, customs officials at the airport seized from the suspect gold bars weighing 32 kgs and an invoice of $859,890 (approx. Ksh.87 million).

A statement from the taxman showed the suspect, who was handed to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, was arrested on Friday, February 16 after an intelligence tip-off.

“The suspect was seized following intelligence alert. He had arrived at JKIA at 1505hrs on Friday, 16th February, on board Precision Airlines from Mwanza and was heading to Dubai aboard Kenya Airways,” read part of the statement.

The gold bars were handed to the KRA Customs and Border Control unit as investigations were launched.