NAIROBI, Kenya- Two women have been arrested at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) after a multi-agency team foiled an alleged attempt to smuggle approximately 658 grams of suspected gold out of Kenya.
The suspects, identified as Mahamed Shukri Abdulahi and Sabriye Farhiyo Hussein, were intercepted in the early hours of September 4, 2026, as they prepared to board an Emirates flight bound for Dubai.
According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), officers subjected the two women to a search before they could proceed with their journey.
One of the suspects, Mahamed Shukri Abdullahi, was allegedly found carrying a gold bar weighing 541 grams.
The item had been concealed in her hair, wrapped with a hairband and tucked beneath her hijab.
Her accomplice, Sabriye Farhiyo Hussein, was also found carrying suspected gold.
Officers recovered a gold pellet weighing 116.79 grams that had been concealed inside her bra.
The two recoveries brought the total weight of the suspected gold to approximately 658 grams.
The suspects were taken into custody and are undergoing processing pending arraignment as investigations continue.
The DCI said the arrest was part of ongoing efforts by multi-agency security teams to disrupt illegal mining and mineral-smuggling networks.
The agency said it remains committed to protecting Kenya’s mineral resources from illegal exploitation and trafficking.
Authorities are expected to establish the origin of the suspected gold, its intended destination and whether the two suspects were part of a wider mineral-smuggling network.
