Six women have been arrested at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) with Sh. 102 million in foreign currency.
The women, all of Somali descent, were coming from India and were trying to enter the country with the undeclared cash.
The money was detected after customs officers from the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) scanned their bags. It was hidden in shoes and clothes.
“Customs officers based at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) have intercepted USD 857,300 (Sh. 103 million) in foreign currency from six female travellers. The suspects had arrived in the country from India,” a statement on the incident from the authority said.
According to the KRA officials, the suspects, Hafsa Warsame Kuresha, Abdi Hassan Arfon, Abdi Farah Sarah Ahmen Omar, Hassan Habiba Abdi and Hodhan Mohammed who were nabbed Thursday, were traveling from India aboard Ethiopian airline flight Number ET 318.
“On 6th October 2022, while clearing Ethiopian Airline flight Number ET 318, some six women of Somali origin arrived at the Customs area. They had with them luggage’s containing shoes and clothes. As usual, the bags were scanned to establish what they contained,” KRA said in a statement.
“The images showed items that looked like currency. Upon secondary verification, it was confirmed that the luggage contained us currency.”
Travelers entering Kenya via the JKIA are required to declare any amounts that exceed Sh. 1 million (USD 8,000).
“Passengers should correctly declare all cargo and 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,” the statement from the authority added.
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Other items that are mandatory to declare include gifts brought home for relatives, items meant for resale in the country and liquors exceeding one litre or wine exceeding two litres, perfumes and toiletries exceeding one litre.