NAIROBI, Kenya — Detectives have launched investigations after police at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) intercepted 2.5 kilograms of Methamphetamine valued at Sh20 million, which was destined for Seychelles.
According to police reports, the narcotics were seized on Friday at a cargo station within the airport’s shed following a tip-off from intelligence sources. The drugs had been sent by an unidentified consignor and were concealed in three African mosaic bags headed for Mahe, Seychelles.
“Each of the bags contained two packages of a clear crystal substance wrapped in black polythene paper. Preliminary tests confirmed the substance to be Methamphetamine,” said a senior detective at JKIA.
No arrests were made during the operation, but investigators say they are pursuing the sender and possible accomplices believed to be part of a wider trafficking network.
Authorities suspect Kenya’s main airport could be part of a transnational drug route exploiting cargo shipments to export narcotics to foreign markets. “We have enhanced screening and intelligence-sharing mechanisms to ensure JKIA is not used as a gateway for drug trafficking,” said one airport security official.
The seizure comes just weeks after a massive maritime drug bust off the Indian Ocean, where narcotics worth Sh8.2 billion were recovered aboard a vessel intercepted by the Kenya Navy at Kilindini Port.
In that case, six Iranian nationals were arrested and arraigned before the Shanzu Magistrate’s Court, which allowed investigators to detain them for 30 days pending investigations.
The suspects are being probed under Section 4(a)(ii) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act, 1994.
The operation involved coordination between INTERPOL, the U.S. Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), and regional bodies, including the Regional Narcotics Interagency Fusion Cell (RNIFC) in Bahrain and the Regional Coordination Operations Centre (RCOC) in Seychelles.
Officials have linked the recent seizures to a broader regional crackdown on transnational narcotics syndicates using East African maritime and aviation routes to traffic synthetic drugs into global markets.
Authorities have vowed to sustain surveillance at all entry points, warning that Kenya will not serve as a conduit for international drug cartels.
