A foreigner entering Kenya from Bangkok is currently being held at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) Police Station after trying to smuggle in 41.7 kilograms of bhang.
According to a report by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) on July 27, the 57-year-old tried to evade the authorities but was caught after a coordinated investigation.
Reportedly, he was already cleared by immigration and was waiting for his bags to be screened by customs officials when he faked a phone call.
He left the two suspiciously heavy bags at the screening station and made his way out of the airport successfully, just as the officers recovered the drug haul.
Detectives from the Anti-Narcotics Unit later discovered 41 sachets of bhang weighing a total of 41.7 kilograms expertly hidden in the bags.
Thereafter, they launched a manhunt for him and thanks to forensic clues, he was quickly trailed down to a hotel in South C.
He was arrested and escorted back to the JKIA Police Station, where he is currently in custody undergoing processing ahead of his court appearance.
This comes just weeks after a 26-year-old Kenyan woman was arrested while attempting to smuggle cocaine through the airport by ingesting drug pellets.
The woman was intercepted by officers on June 13, 2025, at around 10am, just minutes before boarding an outbound flight, after her uneasy demeanour during a routine screening raised suspicion, prompting further checks.
Suspecting that she had concealed illegal substances, she was subjected to a thorough search, after which officers suspected she had concealed foreign substances internally, and she was placed on medical watch.
The detectives, in coordination with other government units at the airport, embarked on a medical response to make her release the swallowed narcotics.
Later that day, the woman requested to use the washroom, where she excreted two pellets. By the following day, June 14, she had passed six more, bringing the total to eight cocaine-filled pellets.
The cocaine weighed approximately 626.65 grams, according to the current market value, and could cost approximately Ksh4.39 million.
