JKIA police seize two kilos of bhang sent from Bangkok, Thailand

Detectives are investigating the seizure of two kilos of bhang at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi.

The narcotics, valued at about Sh300,000, had been sent from Bangkok, Thailand, and disguised as latex natural cushions.

They were destined for Embakasi, Nairobi, and had been packaged in a carton and wrapped in a polythene bag when they were intercepted at the cargo section on Tuesday morning.

The team of detectives wants to establish the sender and receiver.

It is not clear why the dealers decided to send the drugs, given there is plenty of the same in the country amid ongoing operations targeting traffickers and consumers.

Police said on Wednesday that no arrest had been made, but they were making progress in pursuing the matter.

This comes amid heightened operations at the entry point. On Friday, officials said a drug courier’s daring attempt to slip into Kenya with a stomach full of cocaine ended at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport after sharp-eyed Anti-Narcotics Unit (ANU) detectives intercepted her moments after landing.

The drug peddler, 34, had just touched down from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, when detectives, acting on precise intelligence, quietly closed in.

She was escorted to the ANU offices for observation, and within minutes, the truth began to spill out as she emitted 14 pellets of cocaine.

Knowing there was more, detectives maintained a tight watch, and soon another 14 pellets followed, bringing the tally to 28 pellets weighing 912.74 grams, valued at approximately Sh3,650,960 on the streets.

A subsequent X-ray scan later confirmed her abdomen was clean, sealing the case with clinical certainty. She was later charged with trafficking drugs.

This, among other cases, prompted a meeting between the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) and Kenya Airways (KQ) to boost the fight against cross-border criminal networks.

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Renson Ingonga, met with the delegation led by Managing Director Allan Kilavuka to explore avenues of collaboration aimed at strengthening investigations and prosecutions related to drug trafficking and counter-trafficking in persons (CTIP), particularly those exploiting Kenya’s national carrier, transit routes, and international gateways.

The meeting comes at a time when Kenya continues to confront increasingly sophisticated criminal syndicates that use commercial aviation and airport infrastructure to traffic narcotics and vulnerable persons, officials said.

According to recent statistics, more than 3.2 tonnes of narcotics were seized across Kenya between 2024 and 2025, with heroin seizures at airports rising by 27% during the same period. Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) alone recorded over 40 arrests linked to trafficking syndicates, while more than 150 airline-related trafficking cases have been documented in the past decade, underscoring the scale and persistence of the threat.

During the discussions, both institutions agreed on several key areas of action.

Central to the talks was the development of a structured operational framework for early detection and reporting of trafficking victims, including improved coordination in investigative processes and evidence handling, the ODPP said.

Officials said there have been heightened operations to address the menace