Kenyan, Tanzanians arrested for trafficking Sh15 million heroin

A Kenyan and two Tanzanians were at the weekend arrested for trafficking more than five kilograms of heroin valued at Sh15 million.

The Tanzanian couple, who crossed to Kenya through the Namanga border, was first arrested at Mlolongo, along Mombasa Road as they drove to Nairobi from Arusha.

They were in a four-wheel drive car when they were intercepted by officers from Special Crimes Prevention Unit while headed to a residence of a Kenyan who is said to be their local agent.

Police said the couple led police to Muthaiga North estate where they arrested a woman. She later took the officers to another rented house in Umoja estate where they recovered 3,890 sachets of heroin valued about Sh9 million.

"She and her agents had packaged the sachets and were ready for distribution," said one of the officers who was involved in the operation.

Last month, two women were arrested for trafficking five kilograms of heroin from Kampala to Mombasa.

The first woman in her 50s was nabbed by Anti-Narcotics police along Nakuru-Nairobi highway.

She was arrested together with her associate who had travelled to Kampala to bring the narcotics from Tanzania using Modern Coast Bus.

The woman was arrested after detectives established that her travel documents indicated a suspicious travel pattern. She left the country in early August through Lunga Lunga border only to emerge Friday morning at Busia border point.

The detectives searched their belongings and discovered a carton full of plastic mops in which the narcotics were concealed in their hollow spaces.

She previously smuggled drugs to various countries and was at some point arrested in Pakistan while in possession of drugs.

Cases of drug trafficking have been on the rise in the country even as most traffickers avoid the mainly used routes in their business. Police say they now use roads as opposed to airports to carry out their business. The most commonly trafficked narcotic from Tanzania and through Uganda is heroin. Cocaine is also trafficked from the two countries.

Kenya made the second biggest seizure in July and arrested two suspects who were linked to the 100 kilograms of cocaine valued at Sh598 million disguised as sugar.

The suspects including a Briton were released by the courts and ordered to deposit Sh70 million with similar surety to secure their freedom.