(NAIROBI, KENYA) – Kenya’s tax authority has intercepted 40 undeclared iPhones valued at KES 8.2 million ($63,000 / GBP 47,400) at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, uncovering a smuggling route used to bring high value smartphones into the country.
The seizure followed a review of the travel history of a single passenger who made repeated short trips between Nairobi and Dubai. The Kenya Revenue Authority said the pattern prompted customs officers to scrutinise his movements and luggage.
The passenger entered Kenya on 15th September and left two days later. He returned on 19th September and exited the following day. He entered again on 21st September and left on 22nd September.
He returned to Kenya on 23rd September. Officers then questioned him about the frequent trips.
The questioning established that the passenger was carrying the phones as a courier for a client based in Dubai. The devices were not for his personal use.
“It was later established that the passenger was acting as a courier for a client based in Dubai and indicated that the smartphones were destined for Kenya,” the Kenya Revenue Authority said in a statement on 1st October.
The 40 devices were iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models. They were hidden among assorted items in three small suitcases and a backpack.
The passenger had told officers he was transiting through Kenya to a neighbouring country by road. His passport and travel history led to additional checks.
The phones were found during routine baggage screening at Terminal 1A International Arrivals. A physical search then recovered the devices from the luggage.
The passenger had not declared the phones to Customs. The case points to a route traders use to move expensive electronics into Kenya without using formal commercial cargo channels.
The interception comes weeks after the Kenya Revenue Authority uncovered a separate case at Eldoret International Airport. That shipment involved concealed and under declared smartphones in consolidated cargo.
Investigators found 55,607 basic smartphones in a shipment whose customs documents declared only 3,000 phones. They also found 309 undeclared high end devices.
The Kenya Revenue Authority calculated an additional tax liability of KES 56 million ($430,800 / GBP 324,000). It recommended prosecution or administrative settlement of the importer and clearing agent.
The Eldoret case is separate from the JKIA interception. Together, the cases show the different channels used to bring smartphones into Kenya, from passenger luggage to consolidated commercial cargo.
The latest seizure at JKIA involved 40 high end phones. The Eldoret case involved tens of thousands of devices hidden in a commercial shipment.
The JKIA phones have been deposited at the Customs Warehouse pending clearance and verification procedures.
The Kenya Revenue Authority said the interception shows the value of combining baggage scanners with analysis of traveller movements and targeted questioning.
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