2 Arrested at JKIA With Gold Hidden Under Hijab, Inside Bra

Two women have been arrested at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) after a multi-agency security team reportedly foiled an alleged attempt to smuggle 658 grams of suspected gold out of the country.

In a statement on Sunday, September 6, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said the suspects were intercepted on Friday, September 4, as they prepared to travel to Dubai.

"The two suspects, Mahamed Shukri Abdulahi and Sabriye Farhiyo Hussein, were intercepted in the wee hours of September 4, 2026, as they prepared to board an Emirates flight to Dubai," the statement read.

According to the DCI, their journey was stopped after officers subjected the two women to a security search, during which suspected gold was allegedly discovered concealed on their bodies.

"One of the suspects, Mahamed Shukri Abdullahi, was found with a gold bar weighing 541 grams, cleverly concealed in her hair, wrapped with a hairband and tucked beneath her hijab," the statement added.

The DCI said the second suspect had also concealed a quantity of suspected gold, with the DCI saying the material was hidden inside her bra.

"Her accomplice, Sabriye Farhiyo Hussein, had also taken no chances. She had concealed a gold pellet weighing 116.79 grams inside her bra, bringing the total weight of the recovered suspected gold to approximately 658 grams," the statement further read.

The two suspects were subsequently taken into custody and are undergoing processing pending arraignment in court.

This comes months after three foreign nationals were charged after they were allegedly found in possession of emeralds valued at approximately Ksh19 million without the required documentation and mining licences.

In a statement on Friday, July 3, the DCI said the arrests followed investigations by detectives from the Anti-Illegal Mining and Smuggling Investigations (AIMSI) unit.

"Detectives from the Anti-Illegal Mining and Smuggling Investigations (AIMSI) have arraigned three foreign nationals over unauthorised possession of emeralds valued at approximately Ksh19,000,000," the statement read.

The investigative agency further revealed the identities of the suspects and the circumstances surrounding their arrest.

"On June 30, 2026, Milton Ivan Espana Diaz from the United States, Luis Carlos Garcia Ayala from Colombia, and Manuel De Jesus Arevalo Rodriguez from Mexico were arrested with raw emerald weighing 74 grams," the statement added.

According to investigators, the three were unable to provide the necessary documentation relating to the gemstones or authorisation to trade in minerals.

"Preliminary investigations revealed that these individuals lacked proper documentation regarding the origins of the minerals in question, as well as a mineral dealer's or trading license from the State Department for Mining," the statement further read.

The DCI said the suspects were subsequently presented before the Chief Magistrate's Court in Kibera to answer charges related to the alleged offences.

All three denied the charges during their arraignment.

"Appearing before the Chief Magistrate’s Court in Kibera, the three faced two counts: dealing with minerals without a valid dealer's license and unauthorised possession of precious minerals.

"They pleaded not guilty to the charges and were admitted to a bond of Ksh500,000 with surety of a similar amount, alternatively to cash bail of Ksh200,000 with one contact person," the statement concluded.