The High Court on Wednesday ordered that over Sh100 million confiscated from a Nigerian by DCI detectives based at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) be deposited at Central Bank of Kenya (CBK). 

The court ordered that the cash recovered from Mauzu Bala on Friday be held by CBK pending investigations into suspected money laundering. 

The Nigerian man who was destined for Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from Nigeria was found in possession of 880,000 US dollars, 60,000 Euros and 63,000 Naira in a suitcase. 

DCI’s Transnational Organized Crime Unit (TOCU) detectives are collaborating with the Asset Recovery Agency (ARA) to effectively investigate the matter. 


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Police believe the seized cash was from international criminal cartels and raised eyebrows of the authorities after he failed to disclose he was carrying such huge amounts of cash. 

ARA said failure by Bala to reveal to the authorities that he was carrying such monies and produce documents to back the legitimacy of the cash raised money laundering suspicions. 

 

According to Section 12 (1) of the Proceeds of Crime and Anti-Money Laundering Act, a person must declare any amount above $10,000 (an equivalent of Sh1.1 million).