Immigration officers at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport have arrested a 57-year-old Hong Kong national, Wong Hiu Fung, after attempting to evade arrest at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in a failed attempt to traffic narcotics into the country.
Unsuspected arrival at JKIA
Wong, who arrived in Kenya aboard a flight from Bangkok, Thailand, initially went through the normal entry procedures without raising any suspicion.
He was cleared by immigration officers and made his way to the baggage claim area, where he picked up two large suitcases.
Everything seemed in order until he proceeded to the customs screening zone.
According to officials from the Anti-Narcotics Unit (ANU), Wong began acting suspiciously as his bags were being directed for further inspection.
In what detectives believe was a premeditated trick, he pretended to receive an urgent phone call, stepped away from the inspection line, and vanished.
“He executed what we now call the ‘fake phone call’ manoeuvre,” said a senior airport security officer.
“He walked out casually while pretending to be engaged in a phone conversation and never came back.”
Airport security immediately flagged the two abandoned suitcases. Upon inspection, Anti-Narcotics detectives discovered 41 sachets of cannabis sativa, weighing 41.7 kilograms in total.
The drugs were cleverly hidden, but not clever enough to evade the scrutiny of trained security officers.
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“It was expertly packaged to avoid detection through casual screening,” an ANU officer confirmed. “But our team noticed some irregularities in the weight and structure of the luggage.”
Search for Wong
Once the drugs were confirmed, an urgent manhunt was launched. Using forensic evidence, security footage, and intelligence leads, detectives were able to track Wong to a hotel in South C, a residential area located a few kilometers from the airport.
Wong was arrested without incident at the hotel and was immediately escorted back to JKIA Police Station, where he is currently being held.
He is expected to be arraigned in court within the coming days, facing charges related to possession and trafficking of narcotics, as outlined under Kenya’s Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act.
Likely Charges and Penalties
In Kenya, the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act, 1994 (revised 2022) provides harsh penalties for drug possession, trafficking, and related offenses.
Any person who traffics in any narcotic drug or psychotropic substance shall be guilty of an offence.
The penalty is life imprisonment and a fine of not less than Ksh 50 million or three times the market value of the narcotic drugs, whichever is greater.
Under the act, if found in possession of narcotics not for personal use, the accused is deemed to possess them for trafficking.
The penalty is imprisonment for not less than 10 years, and in some cases, up to life imprisonment.
Any money, travel documents, or property connected to drug trafficking by Wong can be confiscated.
After serving his sentence, Wong may be deported and banned from re-entering Kenya.
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Drug trafficking suspects are rarely granted bail, and if so, it’s under very strict conditions.
Calls for Tighter Surveillance
The incident has sparked renewed calls for tighter surveillance of international travellers, particularly at ports of entry, which are often targeted by global drug trafficking syndicates.
Kenya continues to face growing challenges as a transit point for international drug trafficking, with criminal networks attempting to exploit the country’s strategic geographical location and bustling airports.
Investigations into the source of the cannabis and possible collaborators within and outside the country are ongoing.
Authorities believe the seizure could be linked to a larger drug trafficking ring operating across Southeast Asia and Africa.
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