Foreigner Arrested With Ksh 100M at JKIA

A photo of passengers at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Embakasi, Nairobi.
A photo of passengers at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Embakasi, Nairobi.
File

Authorities at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) are on a high alert after a Bahrain national was arrested with $975,000 (over Ksh100 million) in cash on Thursday night, January 27.

The suspect's effort to bypass airport security with the concealed money failed after authorities caught wind of his actions

The foreigner had carried the money in several bags and was apprehended while attempting to board a plane destined for Manama, Bahrain. 

The money that was recovered from the foreigner.
The money that was recovered from the foreigner.

Officials who were acting on information shared by Financial Report Centre (FRC), caught the foreigner while he was trying to get on an Egyptian Airlines plane.

When asked for the source of his money, the foreigner reportedly stated that it was payment for work done. 

Detectives revealed that the man has attempted to bank the money earlier in the day but was not successful. This prompted him to rush towards the passenger terminal to board a plane out of the country. 

It was suspected that the cash may have been proceeds of money laundering. 

On Friday, January 28, detectives released the foreigner after spending the night in police cells. However, the money was held as exhibit to allow the police  investigate the matter.

A similar incident occurred at JKIA on December 4, 2020, when a Nigerian man was arrested with Ksh123 million in cash stashed inside a bag.

The bag contained $880,000 (Ksh 97 million), 63,000 Nigerian Naira (Ksh18 million) and 60,000 euros (Ksh 8 million). 

The Nigerian was intercepted inside the airport after alighting from a flight that had landed from Lagos, Nigeria. The Assets Recovery Agency (ARA) stated that he was en route to boarding another flight to Dubai.

ARA seized the cash which was handed to airport authorities for record and safekeeping after the suspect failed to provide relevant documents. 

The entrance of the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in August 2017.
The entrance of the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in August 2019.
Kenyans.co.ke
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