Customs officials at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport have arrested a passenger over a possible money-laundering racket.
The passenger, a Kenyan whose identity is yet to be disclosed, had arrived in Nairobi carrying Sh238 million in cash that he could not account for.
He had US$2 million in his luggage, but gave a wrong declaration on what the money was for upon landing from Bujumbura, Burundi.
According to the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), the traveller said the money, whose origin was Banque de Credit de Bujumbura (BCB), was meant to be handed over to Brinks Global Services, Kenya.
“After clearance by Customs Unit at the airport, the traveller later, presented the same money at the Swiss Port Cargo shed with different export documents for shipment to Global Services, UK,” KRA Commissioner for Customs and Border Control Lilian Nyawanda said.
“The documents produced to support the export request were different from those produced on entry into the country,” she added.
Brinks Global is a logistics company that offers secure transport of valuable assets to more than 100 countries. The company’s offices at JKIA are located at the Swiss Port Cargo complex.
Sources at JKIA told the Nation that the suspect was trying to send the money as a parcel to the UK, which raised suspicion.
The passenger has apparently been released from the JKIA Police Station as investigations continue.
