The Directorate of Criminal Investigations has charged three foreign nationals with unauthorised possession of emeralds worth KSh19 million. The suspects, citizens of the United States, Colombia and Mexico, were arrested on June 30, 2026.
Detectives from the Anti-Illegal Mining and Smuggling Investigations Unit found the trio with 74 grams of raw emeralds. They lacked documents showing the minerals' origin and valid dealer's licences from the State Department for Mining.
The three appeared before the Chief Magistrate's Court in Kibera. They were charged with dealing in minerals without a valid licence and unauthorised possession of precious minerals.
The suspects denied the charges. They were released on a KSh500,000 bond with a similar surety or an alternative cash bail of KSh200,000 each. The court ordered them to surrender their passports.
The DCI stated that the case shows its commitment to combat illegal mining and hold accountable those exploiting Kenya's mineral resources without proper legal framework.