BY SAM ALFAN.
Details have now emerged that USD 2,000,000 equivalent to Sh286 million seized from a Kenyan at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) last week, were intercepted at cargo shipping point being reshipped to London, United Kingdom.
Documents filed in court state that the reshipping raised suspicion of money laundering scheme executed in an effort to conceal the nature, source, location, destination disposition and movement of illicit funds.
And on Monday, the High Court allowed Assets recovery Agency (ARA) to keep the money for 90 days.
Justice Esther Maina ordered the freezing of the funds, for three months, pending forfeiture application.
The court heard that, while undertaking usual clearance procedure at JKIA on February 15, customs and border control officials at the Airport noted an export entry number 22NBOEX101611898 had been lodged to export currency amounting to USD 2,000,000 from Kenya to United Kingdom with the consignor indicated as Brinks Kenya ltd while the consignee was Brinks Global Services UK.
The agency told the court that investigations established that the funds in issue originated from Bujumbura, Burundi destined to Kenya but was being reshipped to United Kingdom without declaration.
The agency said there are reasonable grounds to suspect the funds maybe direct or indirect profits or proceeds of crime, obtained from a complex money laundering scheme or intended for the commission of crime and liable to be preserved.
