KQ staff in Sh59 million heroin case jailed for 25 years, fined Sh356 million

Judge gavel and handcuffs. [Photo/GettyImages]

Three former Kenya Airways (KQ) staff were sentenced to 25 years in prison and fined Sh360 million after they were found guilty of trafficking heroin worth Sh59 million in 2017.

Lennox Chengek, Alfric Odhiambo and Kenneth Sinzore were charged with two counts of trafficking heroin from the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) using KQ542 that was to fly to Lagos, Nigeria via Cotonou, Benin.

“In their haste to gain wealth, the three accused persons did not think the reputational harm to the to Kenya Airways, the flagship carried for Kenya and by extensions the reputational damage to Kenya Airports Authority,” JKIA Senior Principal Magistrate Njeri Thuku.

She noted that a year prior to the bust KQ begun direct flights to JKIA to the JFK airport in New York.

In the first count Chengek and Sinzore were accused of trafficking some 10 kilograms of heroin worth Sh30 million and in the second count Odhiambo and Sinzore were charged with trafficking nine kilos valued at Sh29 million.

Chengek and Odhiambo worked as KQ flight attendants while Sinzore was a luggage driver.

SPM Thuku found that the defence by the three men was not sufficient for their acquittal.

“It the finding of the court that the Prosecution adequately discharged their burden with proof beyond reasonable doubt that Lennox, Alfric and Kenneth trafficked in narcotic drugs specifically heroin by conveying,” she said in her judgement.

In the first count Chengek and Sinzore were jailed 25 years and fined Sh88 million and in the second count Odhiambo and Sinzore were jailed for 25 years and fined Sh90 million.

Sinzore’s sentences are to run concurrently.

CCTV footage was the breakthrough in tying Sinzore to the case as it showed that he picked the two men at different times between 6am and 6:30 am on November 2, 2017.

In court it was established that he helped them move around and they avoided security checks at JKIA.

Different witnesses working for KQ who testified confirmed that Chengek and Odhiambo were part of the KQ542 flight crew.

After the crew had boarded, Anti-Narcotics Unit (ANU) officers acting on intelligence raided the plane and had the crew stand beside their luggage and that is when it was discovered that Chengek and Odhiambo’s luggage had carrying the drugs.

The two men were isolated and his explanation Odhiambo stated that the contents in his luggage was coffee while Chengek attempted to flee by jumping off the plane, but he was apprehended and brought back.

The 10 packages had been wrapped in a foil.

In court they denied trafficking the drugs and said that the wore their job ID at all times and had all their documents with them.

They argued that the suitcases where the drugs were discovered could belong to any member if the crew since they were standard-issued by KQ.

However, during the search the two men confirmed that the said luggage’s belonged to them when asked by ANU officers.

In his defence Sinzore said that his work was to handle cargo and that no drugs were found on him.

SPM Thuku said that he was the inside man and that without him nothing would have happened.

She said that he played his part but downplayed the CCTV coverage at JKIA which showed that he picked Chengek and drove with him for some minutes before picking Odhiambo and taking the same route.

According to the Magistrate Chengek and Odhiambo were able to evade security checks and they knew once they boarded the plane there would not be any other checks.