DCI detectives in the country are on high alert after a consignment of 2000 kilograms of gold is believed to have arrived in the country in September from Democratic Republic of Congo, with no trace.
The consignment with a street value of Ks 20 billion [160 million dollars], is believed to have been stolen from army generals in Kinshasa by two Americans, one a physician known as Kayembe Bosco Ilunga who has dual citizenship of USA and DR Congo. They used the help of trustees and managed to smuggle the highly valuable commodity into the country with the assistance of some top custom officials and clearing agents.
Gold theft and smuggling from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is a major concern, as the proceeds often finance armed groups and fuel conflict in the eastern part of the country.
An estimated 80% of the DRC’s gold exports are smuggled out. Much of this is “conflict gold” from artisanal mines controlled by armed groups, criminal networks, and corrupt actors, especially in the volatile eastern regions.
The revenue from this illicit trade is a major source of funding for the ongoing conflict and instability in the DRC.
Kenya, along with Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and Tanzania, serves as a principal regional transit hub for smuggled gold from the DRC.
The gold is smuggled across porous borders into neighbouring countries. In Kenya (and other hubs), refiners, aggregators, and traders may obscure the gold’s origin before it is re-exported.
The gold is often transported to border cities and then to regional towns before being flown out of the continent.
Reports suggest that significant amounts of illicit gold outflows leave Kenya without being officially declared for export, despite being declared for import at the final destination.
Private jets and air transport, particularly through hubs like Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi, have been cited in investigations concerning gold trafficking.
Kenya has also been linked to elaborate gold swindles, where counterfeit or non-existent gold is sold to unsuspecting foreign buyers, often leading to diplomatic issues.
Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), is the most popular ultimate destination for smuggled East and Central African gold, reportedly receiving an estimated 95% of the illicit gold from the region.
Dubai is a major global gold trading centre and is cited as being attractive to smugglers due to its status as a key aviation hub and, historically, having less rigorous documentation requirements for gold imports.
Once in Dubai, the gold can be melted and mixed with other gold, making it extremely difficult to trace its origin back to the conflict zones in the DRC.
The governments of Kenya and the DRC have, in the past, struck deals to cooperate and establish joint teams to monitor and curb the illegal trade of gold between the two nations.
