A Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) court has fined two foreign nationals convicted for drug traffickingKsh30 million each or serve 12 months in prison.
Ilo Ebuka Titus and Kanu Arinze were arrested on March 13, 2024, following an intelligence operation by detectives from the Transnational Organized Crimes Unit and Anti- Narcotics Unit.
In a statement, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said the two convicts were nabbed in Nyamakima area and led the authorities to where they resided at Umoja and Sunton where the drugs were found the convicts’ houses.
“Upon searching the premises, detectives recovered 39.04 grams of heroin and 25.71gms of cannabis,” the DCI revealed.
Ebuka and Arinze were later processed and arraigned where they pleaded to the charges of drug trafficking. Upon their conviction, the court ordered that they be repatriated back to their country of origin upon completion of their sentence or payment of fine.
Furthermore, the JKIA court directed the destruction of the narcotics drugs discovered during the house search.
Rampant Cases of Drug Trafficking through JKIA
Cases of drug trafficking arrests at the JKIA have been reported in the past with officers arresting individuals from various countries. In August 2024, undercover detectives from the Anti-Narcotics Unit at JKIA apprehended a drug trafficker disguising herself as an ordinary passenger.
Also Read: Kenyan Arrested at Hong Kong Airport with Ksh 154M Worth Drugs
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in a statement dated August 1 revealed that officers recovered 1080 grams of cocaine in the operation.
“The suspect, Bioma Alice Gbassay from Sierra Leone, thought she could slip through security checks, but our vigilant team of detectives caught her right in the act,” DCI stated.
“Upon her arrival in Kenya on route to Mumbai, Bioma was escorted to the immigration offices where her luggage was picked up from the baggage hall and was taken to the Anti-narcotics office.”
After a meticulous search of her body and luggage, the officers recovered suspected narcotic drugs hidden in various places including her inner garments.
“From her inner garments, a whitish substance wrapped with clear tape was recovered. Further, two slabs of dove soap concealing a suspicious powdery substance were also recovered in her luggage,” DCI said.
After being subjected to laboratory tests, the detectives noted that recovered substances turned out to be cocaine.
Also Read: KRA and DCI Operation Unmasks New Trick Used by Illegal Traders
In another incident, on September 8, the DCI revealed the tricks drug traffickers are using to smuggle narcotics. A trafficker in Siaya attempted to ship a suspicious package to Mombasa, concealing the cargo in a nylon sack.
“In the ongoing battle against trafficking in narcotics, smugglers are constantly finding new tricks to outsmart the authorities and hide their illegal goods,” DCI said.
The package in question was being inspected at the booking office when the trafficker vanished, alarming the attendant.
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