Drug queen arrested with heroin in Nairobi’s Syokimau estate

Some of the recovered passports during the operation. [Cyrus Ombati, Standard]

A multi-agency security team on Friday arrested a Kenyan woman to assist in investigations over an alleged drug ring.

The suspect, who is described as Nairobi’s drug queen and recruiter, was found in possession of two kilogrammes of heroin valued at Sh3 million, passports and e-tickets said to belong to various drug couriers associated with her.

Police believe the suspect preys on young men and women desperate for employment, targeting them for recruitment on behalf of Nigerian drug cartels based in Kenya, Nigeria, India, Tanzania and Ethiopia.

She had established her Nigerian connection before he was deported in 2013.

According to police, she thereafter gained courage and established her own network distributing heroin in the domestic market and sending couriers to collect cocaine from Addis Ababa destined for the Asian, Arab and European markets like India, Thailand, Dubai and Netherlands.

One of her couriers, was arrested on August 17, 2018 in New Delhi having ingested drug pellets.

The suspect has so far managed to send over 20 drug mules in 2017 and 2018 alone to the aforementioned destinations, some of whom have been arrested.

Investigators involved in the operation intend to consolidate the cases in a bid to secure a successful prosecution of the subject.

She was taken to custody ahead of her arraignment.

Police have intensified operations against drug and human trafficking in the region, arresting dozens of suspects.