The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), on Tuesday, September 22, arrested six businessmen at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
In a statement, the agency disclosed that the six attempted to sneak out miraa disguised as Fine Beans and Ravaya.
The detectives received a tip off from the airport's security unit and recovered 150 cartons of the drug.
The businessmen had tactically hid the drug in the cartons by placing Khat at the bottom with a top dressing of French beans and eggplants to by-pass airport security.
"Acting on a tip off, security officers based at JKIA have intercepted a motor vehicle at the Airways Cargo Export section whereupon inspecting the contents of the 150 cartons that were labeled Fine Beans and Ravaya for export, it was established that the cartons contained French beans and eggplants at the top but had Khat (Miraa) concealed underneath," reads the statement in part.
Businessmen behind the consignment were identified as Ahmed Habib, James Ngure, Duke Mutambo, Raphael Ngotho, Stephen Ngugi and Julius Mulwa.
DCI disclosed that the six were set to be arraigned in court to be charged accordingly.
The arrest comes as concerns mount concerning an increase in crime in some sections of the country due to Covid-19 pandemic.
The US Embassy in Kenya, in a statement shared on August 8, cited health, crime, and terrorism as the key reason behind a travel advisor the US had issued urging its citizens to reconsider travelling to Kenya.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the then level 3 notice recommended travellers to avoid nonessential travel as the situation was deemed as extremely risky.
The consulate further highlighted Nairobi neighborhoods of Eastleigh and Kibera as high-risk areas for kidnapping and crime.
Experts associate the increase in crime with increased unemployment rate that resulted from the effects of the pandemic on the economy.
