Detectives in Nairobi have launched investigations into the disappearance of three tonnes of gold valued at Ksh20 billion.
According to People Daily, the gold was under the custody of customs officials at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) warehouse before ‘the disappearance’.
Kenya’s investigative agencies and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) authorities are also investigating illegal gold trade amid reports that the trade has been fuelling the central African nation’s 15-year conflict, the people daily reported.
In a closed interview, intelligence sources privy to the case told People Daily that the gold consignment was unofficially flown out of Kenya.
“The fraudsters have conspired with gold export agencies, aviation and government officials to move the large consignment whose destination is yet to be revealed,” the report from investigators read in part.
A senior politician, who had been mentioned in a similar scandal in the past, is one of the persons of interest that detectives are focusing on.
Sources said buyers and sellers disagreed on payment and this prompted the would-be buyers to rely on the politician’s connections to move the consignment from the customs warehouse irregularly.
“The buyers are said to be of Arab and European origin. Detectives from both countries have already identified the parties involved and are now seeking to identify the destination and recover the gold,” a source said.
One of the owners of the gold — believed to be ill in DRC — has reportedly initiated the process of halting the transaction through Kenyan courts.
The theft was first reported at the airport police station, with information indicating the consignment went missing on July 12.
This is the latest high-profile gold theft case to be reported in Kenya in the recent past.
