Nigerian Man Caught Laundering Money Worth N454million Enroute Dubai From Kenyan Airport

A Nigerian man was arrested for suspected money laundering at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on Friday, December 4 2020.

The man who was identified as Mauzu Bala had in his possession USD 880,000, 60,000 euros and N63,000 (which sums up to N454,303,000 ) while heading to Dubai.

On Wednesday, 9th Dec, the  High Court in Kenya ordered that the confiscated money be deposited at Central Bank of Kenya for pending investigations on money laundering.

Directorate of Criminal Investigations – DCI, confirmed this latest development in a statement on Wednesday.

“The High Court has ordered over Ksh 100 million that was confiscated from a foreigner by detectives based at JKIA to be deposited at CBK pending money laundering investigations,” the statement reads.

“The foreign national who was heading to Dubai from Nigeria was in possession of USD 880,000, 60,000 Euros and 63,000 Naira. To enable investigate the matter, DCI Transnational Organized Crime Detectives (TOCU) is working with the Asset Recovery Agency (ARA). The seized cash is suspected to be from an International Criminal Cartel.”

The Assets Recovery Agency (ARA) had sought court orders to freeze over Sh100 million seized from Bala at JKIA. ARA said his failure to disclose that he was carrying such a huge amount of money and produce documents supporting the legitimacy of the cash raised suspicion of money laundering.

Section 12 (1) of the Proceeds of Crime and Anti-Money Laundering Act requires a person to declare any amount above $10,000 (approximately over Sh1 million). The Act gives the agency powers to obtain a court order seizing money within five days, where there are reasonable grounds to believe that it is illicit money.

“The threshold for requiring the declaration was not compiled as the respondent did not disclose the source of the cash, the business he was doing and the basis of moving with cash of that magnitude,” Fedrick Musyoki, a police investigator attached to ARA, said in an affidavit.

“There are reasonable grounds to suspect the funds found in possession of the respondents in cash may be a direct or indirect benefit or proceeds of crime obtained from a complex money-laundering scheme and are liable to be forfeited to the state under the Proceeds of Crime and Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2009, ” he added.

When asked why he was carrying such a huge amount, Mr Bala allegedly said he was heading to Dubai for business. But the agency said there are banks in Nigeria and Dubai that allow a customer to transfer money within the two countries.

Mr Bala, allegedly had no proof of declaration of being in possession of the bulky cash from Nigeria or documentation to support the source, purpose or movement of the cash. The court ordered Kenya Airways CEO Allan Kilavuka to hand the money to ARA, pending the conclusion of investigations.

The agency says the Nigerian had disembarked from Kenya Airways flight KQ535 from Lagos, Nigeria and was intercepted at the transit lounges, heading to catch flight KQ310 to Dubai.

The agency wants to be allowed to hold the money, pending the conclusion of investigations and possible application for forfeiture to the State.