Bags containing the suspected drugs/DCIA wanted Kenyan woman has been arrested at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) while allegedly attempting to leave the country for Bangladesh with 3,383 grams of suspected cocaine valued at approximately Sh13.53 million, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has said.
The woman was intercepted by detectives from the Kenya Airports Criminal Investigations (KACI) following a stop order issued by detectives from the National Anti-Narcotics Investigations Bureau (NANIB) over alleged trafficking in narcotic drugs.
According to the DCI, the woman was preparing to board a flight to Bangladesh when detectives stopped her journey.
A search conducted after her interception led to the recovery of three small bags containing suspected narcotic drugs, the DCI said.
“A preliminary field test returned positive for cocaine,” the DCI said, adding that the consignment weighed approximately 3,383 grams and had an estimated street value of Sh13,530,720.
The woman had reportedly been on the law-enforcement watch list since last year.
She is currently being held at JKIA Police Station as detectives from NANIB and the Financial Investigations Unit (FIU) pursue further leads.
The investigations are aimed at establishing the full extent of the suspected narcotics trafficking network, according to the DCI.
The arrest followed an operation involving KACI detectives and other law-enforcement agencies at the airport.
The Director of Kenya Airports Criminal Investigations, B. Kanyai, MBS, DSM, AIG, said the unit remained committed to preventing airports from being used in the movement of narcotics.
“KACI, in partnership with other law-enforcement agencies, remains resolute in ensuring that Kenyan airports are not turned into conduits for narcotics trafficking,” Kanyai said.
Kanyai warned those seeking to use Kenyan airports in the illicit narcotics trade that they would face legal action.
“Those seeking to use the country’s airports as a gateway for the illicit narcotics trade will face the full force of the law,” she said.
The DCI said investigations by NANIB and FIU were ongoing as detectives pursued additional leads in the case.
