JKIA Gold Smuggling: Two Women Nabbed With 658g of Suspected Gold Bound for Dubai

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

The suspects, identified as Mahamed Shukri Abdullahi and Sabriye Farhiyo Hussein, were detained at Sanely International Airport on 4 September 2026 whilst attempting to board an Emirates flight to Dubai.

“The two suspects, Mahamed Shukri Abdullahi and Sabriye Farhiyo Hussein, were intercepted in the wee hours of September 4, 2026, as they prepared to board an Emirates flight to Dubai,” stated DCI.

According to DCI, the officers searched the two women before they were able to continue with their journey and, as a result, seized two items of suspected gold which were hidden on them.

Mahamed Shukri Abdullahi was allegedly found carrying a gold bar weighing 541 grams.

Investigators said she had concealed the item in her hair, where it was wrapped with a hairband and placed beneath her hijab.

Her alleged accomplice, Sabriye Farhiyo Hussein, was also found carrying suspected gold; officers recovered a gold pellet weighing 116.79 grams concealed inside her bra.

The two recoveries brought the total weight of the suspected gold to approximately 658 grams.

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Smuggling Suspects Remanded in Custody

Both suspects were remanded in custody, and processing has commenced, awaiting arraignment as investigations continue into the alleged attempt to smuggle.

“They were taken into custody and are undergoing processing pending arraignment, as investigations continue,” the DCI said.

According to the DCI, the operation is part of a targeted, ongoing multi-agency effort to dismantle illegal mining and mineral-smuggling syndicates and safeguard Kenya’s natural resources.

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Ongoing Investigation Update

Authorities are set to investigate the source of the alleged gold and the possible involvement of the other two women to assess the extent of a mineral-smuggling syndicate to which the women might have belonged.

The case is still under investigation, and the charges against the two men have not been brought to court.

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A photo collage of Mahamed Shukri Abdullahi and Sabriye Farhiyo Hussein, the two suspects are detained for Gold Smuggling. Photo DCI.