NAIROBI COUNTY: A Tanzanian national has been detained at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport while carrying more than a kilo of heron valued at Sh4.6 million.
Police said the man was headed for Antananarivo, Madagascar on Sunday with the powder when he was intercepted. This was after anti-narcotics police discovered a white powder at the bottom of his travelling suit case.
Airport CID boss Joseph Ngisa said the man had originated Tanzania through the Namanga border on road. He had 1.5 kilogrammes of the drug.
“He then planned to take a plane to Antananarivo when we intercepted him. Tests have confirmed the powder is heroin,” said Ngisa.
The suspect was expected in court to face charges of narcotics trafficking. Police say their statistics show most traffickers of drugs are nowadays originating Tanzania and they use road to traffic the narcotics.
On June 10, two men, a Tanzanian and Kenyan were arrested and heroin valued at Sh2 million found on them outside Nakumatt Junction, Nairobi.
Police said they recovered almost a kilo of the drug that the men had wrapped inside a black polythene paper.
According to head of Special Crimes Prevention Unit Noah Katumo, the men identified as Kenyan Noel Magwana Mzee and Saidi Ally Juma, a Tanzanian had claimed to be businessmen.
Police said the men had parked their car at the mall and were waiting for a client to pick the package when police struck.
Cases of drug trafficking have gone down but consumption is increasing, police reports show.
Anti-narcotics police officers say most of the drugs being consumed in Nairobi originate Tanzania through the Namanga border.
The traffickers have been avoiding airports for roads, which are poorly manned to traffic the drugs.
Anti-narcotics police arrest Tanzanian man traveling to Madagascar with heroine worth Sh4.6 million at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
