Police seize Sh722m Congo gold

Gold valued at US $8.5 million (Sh722 million) was seized at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Tuesday.

Police head of criminal investigations at the airport Joseph Ngisa said the 200kg of gold was in transit from Democratic Republic of Congo to South Africa.

He said: “The cargo is sealed and we are going to open it tomorrow (Wednesday). We want to check the documentation and see if it’s genuine.

We shall also rely on authorities in that country as part of our inquiries,” said Mr Ngisa.

The gold was to be flown on South African Airways. Police impounded it in the cargo section.

An illegal multi-million dollar gold trade is rampant in the Congo, especially the eastern region which is in the command of warlords who use the returns to buy arms.

A UN report has identified Kenya as one of the countries used by illegal gold smugglers.

In 2011, Kenya and DRC formed a joint team to investigate smuggling syndicates and President Joseph Kabila came to meet President Mwai Kibaki over the investigations.

Their meeting was prompted by the disappearance of 2.5 tonnes of gold worth Sh8 billion. The bullion was stolen from the Congo in January 2011 and was to be exported to Dubai.

DRC detectives were then sent to Kenya to help local authorities to arrest the culprits, intercept the haul and surrender it to Kinshasa.

Kenay Revenue Authority Senior assistant commissioner Joseph Cheptarus, who had been seconded to the investigation team, was shot dead in the course of the probe.

Kenya and the Congo also resolved to develop a mechanism to trace minerals from Great Lakes region and establish a joint commission to spearhead cooperation.