DCI arrests woman who had swallowed 626.25g of cocaine at JKIA
According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), her uneasy demeanour during a routine screening prompted officers to conduct a more thorough search.
A 26-year-old woman has been arrested for attempting to smuggle 626.25 grams of cocaine out of Kenya through the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
Wendy Mbeke Muli was apprehended by detectives from the Anti-Narcotics Unit just moments before boarding an outbound flight. The flight's exact destination has not been revealed.
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According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), her uneasy demeanour during a routine screening prompted officers to conduct a more thorough search.
"Mbeke, whose confidence was larger than her carry-on luggage, was intercepted by hawk-eyed detectives on June 13, 2025, at around 10:00 am, just minutes before boarding an outbound flight," said the DCI in a statement on X on Sunday.
"Her uneasy demeanour during a routine screening set off alarm bells. Following this, she was subjected to a thorough search."
The search revealed that Mbeke had swallowed 626.25 grams of cocaine concealed in pellets, which she subsequently excreted
"It was soon established that she had concealed foreign substances inside her body cavity, prompting immediate medical observation. Later that day, Mbeke requested to use the washrooms, where she excreted two pellets," said the DCI.
"The following day, June 14, while still under observation, she excreted six more pellets, bringing the total to eight pellets. The recovered pellets contained cocaine weighing approximately 626.65 grams."
She will be arraigned on June 16, 2025, for drug trafficking charges.
The development comes amid a growing trend in Kenya of women being recruited as drug mules, often lured by the promise of quick cash.
Many of these women are from vulnerable backgrounds and are enticed by offers of money that rarely match the enormous risks involved. In most cases, they are unaware of the full legal consequences or the true value of the drugs they are carrying.
In May, for instance, a Kenyan woman was arrested in Mumbai, India, for attempting to smuggle 1.57 litres of liquid cocaine, valued at Sh238 million, into the country.
In April, Emily Kanini, a 43-year-old Kenyan woman, was detained by Indian authorities for attempting to smuggle cocaine worth $2.1 million (approx. Sh271.4 million) into Mumbai.
In March, another Kenyan woman, Margaret Nduta, 37, was sentenced to death for attempting to smuggle over 2.3 kilograms of cocaine, worth Sh27 million, into Vietnam.
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