White pellets of cocaine placed on the floor. A Venezuelan woman was nabbed trafficking the drug at JKIA.[Photo/Daily Nation]
A Venezuelan drug trafficker’s efforts to smuggle a suspected cocaine haul into the country through the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) was foiled by Kenya Revenue Authority officers on Christmas day.
The officers drawn from KRA’s Customs and Border Control Division seized the two 2.5kg cocaine packages with a Sh8million street value during a routine passenger search exercise at the airport.
Confirming the seizure, KRA Customs, and Border Control Commissioner Julius Musyoki said the narcotic substance had been carefully sealed in a false bottom slot on the Venezuelan national’s suitcase.
The Venezuelan national identified as Medina Paez Maria Artmelis had arrived at JKIA aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Addis Ababa on a tourist Visa.
The swift seizure by the KRA officials in conjunction with an inter-agency security team comprising of the Directorate of Criminal Intelligence, National Police Service, National Intelligence Service and Kenya Airports Authority officials is part of an ongoing high alert security management strategy over the festive season and beyond.
“The attempt by the Venezuelan drug trafficker to smuggle such a sizeable cocaine package we believe was based on a mistaken view that the security agencies guard at the airport would be low. However, we are all operating in a red alert mode through the festive season and beyond to guarantee national security,” Musyoki said.
The 2.5Kgs package seized from the Venezuelan national has been handed over to the Anti-Narcotics Police unit for further investigations with the suspect expected in court tomorrow.