Acting on intelligence, authorities arrested a Kenyan woman, identified as Emily, upon her arrival at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai on Tuesday. She had been transporting illegal narcotics from Nairobi to Delhi via Doha.
According to The Indian Express, customs officials subjected Emily’s luggage to inspection, uncovering four packets containing a powdery substance. Subsequent field tests confirmed the substance to be narcotics.
Authorities disclosed that the confiscated contraband weighed 1,789 grams, with an estimated street value ranging between Ksh225 million and Ksh300 million (Rs 15 to 20 crores), depending on its quality.
Official sources revealed that Emily had concealed the drugs inside her trolley bag. Following an interrogation, she was placed under detention under the provisions of the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act for smuggling commercial quantities of prohibited substances.
During questioning, Emily admitted that another woman had handed her the consignment in Nairobi, promising a payment of Ksh100,000 (approximately INR 66,110) upon successful delivery to her contact in Delhi.
Meanwhile, customs officials are investigating her travel history to determine whether she has previously smuggled narcotics or other contraband into India.
Her arrest follows a similar case involving Kenyan national Margaret Nduta, who made headlines after being sentenced to execution in Vietnam for drug trafficking. Nduta was apprehended at Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City, one of the country’s major transport hubs.
On March 6, the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Court upheld her execution sentence, reinforcing Vietnam’s strict stance on drug-related offenses. The Kenyan government has since been working to repatriate Nduta so she can serve her sentence in Kenya, with a delegation sent to negotiate for her release. However, no progress has been announced, and Nduta has since appealed her death sentence.
