Two women have been arrested at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) while allegedly attempting to smuggle 658 grams of suspected gold out of Kenya.
The two suspects, Mahamed Shukri Abdulahi and Sabriye Farhiyo Hussein, were intercepted by a multi-agency security team in the early hours of Friday, September 4, 2026, as they prepared to board an Emirates flight bound for Dubai.
According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) statement on Sunday, September 6, 2026, officers subjected the two women to a search before they could proceed with their journey, leading to the recovery of the suspected precious mineral.
“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,” DCI stated.
One of the persons of interest, Ma** Abdulahi, was allegedly found carrying a gold bar weighing 541 grams.
The bar had reportedly been concealed in her hair, wrapped with a hairband and tucked beneath her hijab in an attempt to evade detection.
Her alleged accomplice, Sa** Hussein, was also found with suspected gold concealed on her body.
Police said she had hidden a gold pellet weighing 116.79 grams inside her bra.
The two recoveries brought the total weight of the suspected gold to approximately 658 grams.
“One of the suspects, Abdullahi, was found with a gold bar weighing 541 grams, cleverly concealed in her hair, wrapped with a hairband and tucked beneath her hijab. Her accomplice, 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 DCI stated.
Whereabouts of the persons of interest
The persons of interest were taken into custody and are being processed pending arraignment as investigations continue into the source of the minerals and the alleged smuggling network behind the attempted export.
The DCI said the operation was part of ongoing efforts by security agencies to disrupt illegal mining and mineral smuggling networks.
“They were taken into custody and are undergoing processing pending arraignment, as investigations continue.”
The agency said it remains committed to protecting Kenya’s mineral resources from criminal exploitation and dismantling networks involved in the illegal trade.
Investigators are expected to establish where the suspected gold was sourced and whether the two suspects were acting alone or as part of a wider mineral smuggling syndicate.
