Drugs worth Sh9m smuggled inside bicycle saddled seized at JKIA
Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) made a significant drug seizure at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on Tuesday evening, October 3, intercepting methamphetamine drugs valued at over Sh9 million.
The narcotics, weighing over one kilogram, were discovered concealed inside bicycle saddles within a consignment scheduled for shipment from Moroni, Comoros, to Jakarta, Indonesia.
“The drug estimated at over Sh9 million was stashed among other items declared as bicycle accessories in a consignment being shipped from Moroni, Comoros,” stated the DCI.
The detection of illicit drugs was made possible by vigilant detectives stationed at the airport, specializing in handling immigration crimes and monitoring suspicious cargo.
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During the verification process, brown packages containing a white crystalline substance were concealed within eleven bicycle saddles. Subsequent testing confirmed the substance’s identity as methamphetamine.
“Upon testing the substance, it tested positive for methamphetamine. Interpol operations have since been launched to identify the faces behind the illicit trade for arrest and prosecution,” detectives added.
Interpol operations have now been initiated to identify those responsible for this illicit trade, to apprehend and prosecute them, according to detectives.
This latest incident follows the government’s intensified crackdown on drug traffickers and unlicensed brewers, a concerted effort to combat the illicit trade within the country.
Last month, detectives arrested a 37-year-old Polish national who was allegedly found in possession of heroin worth Sh3.2 million.
The arrest occurred at JKIA as the suspect was preparing to board an Egypt-bound flight en route to Hungary’s capital, Budapest.
The alleged trafficker is currently detained in police cells, awaiting further processing and legal proceedings. Margaret Karanja, the Director of the Anti-Narcotics Directorate, issued a stern warning to all involved in the drug trade, emphasizing that Kenya would not tolerate such activities, regardless of the perpetrators’ status.
“Kenya remains a hostile ground for perpetrators, irrespective of their status in the country. All those caught up in the ring of traffickers and peddlers will be treated with the severity of the law, despite their roles in the trade,” declared Director Karanja.
Most of the heroin found in Kenya is believed to originate from Afghanistan, entering the country through the Indian Ocean.
Cocaine, on the other hand, is typically traced back to South America.
Recent arrests of Kenyan nationals with narcotics in India have raised concerns about the possibility of a local drug trade network.
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