NAIROBI, Kenya, April 13 — Twenty-nine Kenyans have been arrested in India after being found in possession of gold worth over Ksh500 million. According to Indian authorities, the gold—weighing 29 kilograms—was seized at Mumbai Airport.
The arrests highlight Kenya’s growing role as a regional transit hub for illicit gold flows to markets such as India and the United Arab Emirates. Most of the smuggled gold is believed to originate from conflict-prone countries including the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and South Sudan, entering Kenya through porous borders.
Authorities have raised concerns over the rise in illegal gold trade networks, which exploit weak border controls and regional instability. Kenya has also seen an increase in fake gold scams, where fraudsters forge documents such as mining licences and customs paperwork to deceive buyers, leading to significant financial losses.
The latest arrests underscore growing scrutiny on cross-border mineral trade as governments step up efforts to curb smuggling and protect investors.
