NAIROBI, Kenya — A 25-year-old woman has been arrested at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) for attempting to smuggle 1.3 kilograms of cocaine out of the country.
According to a statement from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Caroline Wanjiku was detained on May 2, just as she was about to board a flight to India.
Detectives on routine checks flagged Wanjiku down, and a quick inspection of her luggage uncovered two suspicious smaller bags hidden inside her larger suitcase. Upon further inspection, the bags contained a white powdery substance, neatly wrapped in yellow cellotape — clearly not an ordinary souvenir.
The cocaine was weighed and found to be 1.3 kilograms, and the drugs were immediately seized as evidence.
Wanjiku, currently held at the JKIA Police Station, is undergoing processing and will appear in court soon. Meanwhile, the narcotics are being stored as exhibits.
The DCI humorously noted that Wanjiku’s planned trip to Goa has now been replaced with an unwanted staycation due to the arrest by Anti-Narcotics Detectives.
This incident comes amid rising concerns about Kenya’s involvement in global drug trafficking, with several arrests made at international airports, including India’s airports and JKIA. Some Kenyan nationals have even faced severe penalties abroad, such as execution for drug trafficking, as seen in the case of Margaret Nduta in Vietnam.
