Indian customs officials have arrested a 43-year-old Kenyan woman for smuggling 1.7 kilogrammes of cocaine valued between Ksh225 million and Ksh300 million (Rs 15 to 20 crores).
Acting on intelligence, authorities apprehended the Kenyan woman, who we will identify as Emily, upon her arrival at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai on Tuesday. She was flying the illegal narcotics from Nairobi to Delhi via Doha.
According to The Indian Express, Emily was taken in for questioning after customs officers inspected her baggage and discovered four packets containing a powdery substance. A field test later confirmed that the substance was narcotics.
Officials revealed that the total weight of the contraband was 1,789 grams, worth between Ksh225 million and Ksh300 million (Rs 15 to 20 crores), depending on quality.
The accused had concealed the contraband in her trolley bag after embarking from her flight, according to official sources.
After an interrogation, she was placed under detention as per relevant sections of the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act for smuggling commercial quantities of unlawful substances.
During interrogation, she admitted that another woman handed over the consignment to her in Nairobi and promised to pay her Ksh100,000 (equivalent to INR 66,110) for the successful delivery of the contraband to her associate in Delhi.
Meanwhile, customs officials are also checking her travel history to find whether she smuggled narcotics or any other restricted items to India in the past.
The arrest comes less than a month after Kenyan national Margaret Nduta’s case made headlines, as she faces execution in Vietnam for drug trafficking.
This followed her apprehension at Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City, one of the largest transport hubs in the Asian nation.
On March 6, the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Court sentenced Nduta to execution, reinforcing the nation's harsh stance on narcotic-related crimes.
The government is working to repatriate Nduta to serve her sentence in Kenya, sending a delegation to negotiate for her release. No progress has been announced yet, but Nduta launched an appeal against her death sentence.
