Dutch woman and Guinea man arrested at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi while on transit with narcotic drugs of unknown value

Police are holding two Dutch and Guinea nationals after they were found trafficking narcotic drugs of unknown value at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi.

The Dutch woman was arrested as she tried to board a flight while headed for France and later connect to Greece.

Police say the woman has a Burundian passport. She had three children aged nine, six and four at the time of her arrest on Saturday night.

The 34-year-old woman identified as Ciza Annie Butoyi had arrived at JKIA by road using a shuttle she had hired.

Police say they discovered a brown substance believed to be heroin in the bottom of her travelling suitcase.

The substance was taken to the Government Chemist for testing before the officers know what to charge her with. But officers handling the matter said they will produce her in court and seek more time as investigations into the seizure go on.

At the same airport, a Guinean national was also arrested while carrying more than five kilogrammes of heroin on Sunday night.

Police said 35-year-old Justin Camara was on transit from an Asian country headed to his home country when he was arrested. He was too expected to be produced in court as police sought time to finish their investigations.

Airport CID boss Judy Jebet said they have enhanced surveillance to stop such incidents of trafficking using the airport.

“We have deployed various mechanisms of taming the crime. Those involved need to be warned,” she said.

The arrest is the latest in a series of others that have happened in the past days. Most traffickers arrested at JKIA are usually on transit.

Cases of drug trafficking through JKIA have been on the rise with police making several arrests and seizures.

Anti-narcotics police officers say most of the drugs being consumed in Nairobi originate Tanzania through the Namanga border.

The traffickers had also been avoiding airports for roads, which are poorly manned to traffic the drugs.

Most of the narcotics that are seized are cocaine and heroin.

Statistics show police at the airport seized drugs valued more than Sh50 million last year alone. Most of those arrested were passengers who were on transit.