A 43-year-old Kenyan woman was arrested by Indian Customs officials at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International (CSMI)Airport on Tuesday, April 1, while she was allegedly attempting to smuggle cocaine. The authorities identified the woman, as Emily Rodha Kanini.
Rodha is reported to have concealed the cocaine, weighing 1,789 grams, in her trolley bag. The contraband was valued at Rs 17.89 crore (Ksh 270,443,130).
During a detailed examination of her baggage, four packets containing a white powdery substance, purported to be cocaine, were found.
It is believed to have been transported from Nairobi via Doha. When tested with the field test kit, it was confirmed that the contraband was narcotic.
“During the examination of the trolley bag carried by her, the officers observed that it contained clothes and shoes. However, after removing all the contents of the said bag, the officers found the bag unusually heavy and on further examination, it was found that some synthetic material was affixed on the bottom side,” said a Customs official.
“On removing the said material, 04 transparent plastic packets were found glued to the bottom surface of the said trolley bag. All packets contained white powdered substance, which tested positive for the presence of Cocaine, a narcotic drug. We seized a total of 1,789 grams of cocaine from the passenger.”
Kenyan Woman Emily Rodha Arrested in India with Cocaine Worth Ksh270 M
The cocaine was seized from the false cavity of the trolley bag carried by her, customs officers said.
After a thorough interrogation, the suspect was placed under arrest as per relevant sections of the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act for smuggling commercial quantities of drugs.
During interrogation, Emily Rodha admitted that another woman handed over consignment to her by a lady named Millicent at Nairobi and promised to pay her 1,00,000 Kenyan Shillings (equivalent to INR 66,110) for successful delivery of the contraband to her associate in Delhi.
“Rodha has admitted that she was aware of the contents of the bag, and she had been promised Ksh 100,000 for doing this illegal act of smuggling of drugs into India. She also said that Millicent had booked her flight tickets for her travel from Nairobi to Mumbai and further from Mumbai to Doha/Nairobi, and also booked a hotel for her stay in Mumbai,” the official added.
“She was to be given Ksh100,000 in Delhi for the successful delivery of the drugs to some accomplice of Millicent. Since she was in need of money, she accepted the offer of Millicent to earn some quick, easy money.”
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Nduta Facing Execution in Vietnam
This comes in less than a month after another Kenyan woman was sentenced to death in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Vietnam, after being found guilty of trafficking over 2 kg of cocaine through Tan Son Nhat International Airport.
Macharia Margaret Nduta, 37, received the sentence from the HCMC People’s Court on March 6 for drug trafficking.
Nduta was arrested in July 2023 after more than 2.3 kilograms of cocaine were found hidden in her luggage upon her arrival at Tan Son Nhat International Airport.
Narcotics were valued at about Ksh27 million in the international market.
According to court documents, Nduta was hired by a man named John from Kenya in July 2023 to transport a suitcase to Laos, Southeast Asia.
The suitcase was meant to be received by a woman, and Nduta was expected to bring back “goods” from her.
It was also revealed that Nduta was paid $1,300 (at least Ksh 167,700) by John, and her plane tickets were covered, according to the indictment.
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Kenyan Woman Arrested Smuggling Gold in India
Similarly, in October 2023, Customs officials said they are also checking her travel history to determine whether she has smuggled narcotics or any other banned or restricted items into India in the past.
Additionally, the investigators are also trying to gather details about her associates involved in the smuggling racket.
A 40-year-old Kenyan woman was apprehended at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai on Saturday, 30th September, on charges of gold smuggling.
Authorities identified the woman as Sahra Mohammed Omar, from Nairobi, Kenya.
“On her arrival from Nairobi to Mumbai on a Kenya Airways plane, flight number KQ202, Sahra Mohammed Omar was intercepted by the personnel of the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of Customs.
She was holding a passport issued by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland,” read part of the Airport Customs’ statement.
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