Public questions DCI's timing of cocaine smuggler's arrest, day after KTN's expose
National
By
Ronald Kipruto
| Oct 04, 2025
Drugs Concealed by the suspect. [Photo, DCI]
Detectives from the Anti-Narcotics Unit have arrested a 41-year-old woman for attempting to smuggle cocaine to Dubai through Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), minutes before takeoff.
According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the suspect had allegedly concealed several pellets of cocaine inside her body.
"She turned herself into a smuggling vessel, concealing several pellets of cocaine inside her body in a desperate gamble to outwit airport security. But her plan unraveled when detectives, acting on instinct and intelligence, flagged her for additional screening," DCI said in a statement.
Scanners later revealed she was carrying the drugs internally.
READ MORE
AI-driven cyber threats rise amid global skills shortage
How Sh27.8b project is revamping informal settlements in urban areas
Equity Q1 net profit up 24pc to Sh18.3b on regional units
KCB Q1 net earnings hit Sh17.8b to join rivals in defying tough times
Centum Re begins handover of 400 apartments at Nairobi's Two Rivers
Epra makes marginal hike on pipeline tariff, piles pressure on consumers
ICPAK urges accountants to restore trust in public institutions
Alarm raised over lagging decarbonisation in construction industry
Retail investors can now own a piece of mega infrastructure projects through NSE
Why AI is gaining prominence in Africa's new investment agenda
"Placed under medical supervision, she later excreted three pellets of cocaine, confirming detectives' worst fears about her risky concealment method," the statement added.
The DCI said investigations are ongoing before the suspect is arraigned in court.
Her arrest comes just a day after an investigative report by The Standard exposed security lapses at JKIA, revealing how a 28-year-old man had earlier smuggled cocaine through the airport.
Footage from the expose showed the suspect, identified as Da Mata Dos Santos, carrying a black backpack and accompanied by an aide who allegedly helped him bypass multiple security checkpoints.
Although Santos successfully cleared the Kenyan exit point, he was later arrested at Heathrow Airport in London. Investigations revealed he had made several trips in and out of Kenya using a tourist visa.
Kenyans react
Today's arrest has ignited debate online, with many Kenyans accusing airport security of laxity and acting only after KTN's revelation.
"All of a sudden, you can now detect drugs hidden in the body, yet before, even those in bags went unnoticed," wrote X user, Okuyu Karing'a.
"She's been arrested because she didn't grease the right palms," another user commented.
"After the expose? It has to make headlines for you to act. You might as well be part of the problem," posted another under the name Spartan.
"DCI, are you saying you can easily nab drugs hidden in someone's body but fail to spot a suitcase full of cocaine?" added Njama Githua.