Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) arrested a 41-year-old woman in a daring attempt to smuggle a significant quantity of cocaine pellets concealed inside her body at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
According to the DCI, the suspect – identified as Anna Nekesa Kisaka was intercepted by officers from the Anti-Narcotics Unit just minutes before boarding a flight to Dubai. Acting on credible intelligence, detectives flagged her for additional screening after noticing suspicious behavior.
“Our officers acted swiftly based on credible information,” said a senior DCI official involved in the operation. “The individual was exhibiting behaviors consistent with drug couriers, prompting a more thorough examination.”
During the search, scans revealed multiple foreign substances inside her body. The DCI confirmed that Nekesa had ingested several pellets of cocaine, a dangerous smuggling technique known as body packing or muling, which often poses life-threatening risks if the capsules rupture internally.
Cocaine Pellets
Medical professionals were immediately called in to ensure the suspect’s safety. Under medical supervision, she later excreted three pellets of cocaine, confirming the officers’ suspicions.
“Now cooling her heels in custody, Nekesa’s ‘import-export’ mission has ended before it even took off,” the DCI stated, adding that she remains under investigation ahead of her arraignment in court.
The agency has since launched a broader probe into possible accomplices both in Kenya and Dubai, suspecting that the woman may be part of a larger trafficking network using Kenyan airports as transit points for narcotics bound for the Middle East.
“This arrest underscores our unwavering commitment to dismantling drug trafficking syndicates that exploit vulnerable individuals and threaten our national security,” another senior DCI officer noted. “We have intensified surveillance at all points of entry, including airports and seaports, to combat the flow of illegal narcotics into and through Kenya.”
Experts have also warned that the incident highlights both the ingenuity and desperation of traffickers who continue to use their bodies as vessels for contraband.
The DCI reaffirmed its warning to Kenyans against being lured into “quick-money” ventures that often end in imprisonment or death.
