The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has intercepted a consignment of suspected narcotics valued at Sh25.45 million at Eldoret International Airport.
The consignment, which had been shipped from Dubai and declared as cosmetics, was destined for Mombasa and contained 141 items packed in different forms, including soap-like blocks, gel-filled containers and powders.
KRA Customs officers flagged the shipment after an X-ray scan revealed images that did not correspond with the declared contents. Unclear labelling and gaps in the accompanying documentation prompted a physical inspection.
The shipment had been declared as a single package weighing 27.2 kilogrammes.
Further checks found limited verifiable information about the shipper and consignee, making it difficult for authorities to establish the parties behind the consignment.
Laboratory tests conducted by the Government Chemist Laboratory in Kisumu subsequently confirmed that two batches contained controlled substances.
Thirteen blue, soap-like blocks weighing 1,381.01 grammes tested positive for methamphetamine, with an estimated street value of Sh11.05 million.
Another 14 maroon gel containers weighing 4,802.86 grammes tested positive for amphetamine and were valued at an estimated Sh14.41 million.
The two batches had a combined estimated street value of Sh25.45 million.
KRA said analysis of the remaining packages showed that most did not contain narcotic or psychotropic substances. These included containers of white and blue powder, grey flaky fragments, light-green powder-filled envelopes, brown gel containers and other assorted packages.
The seized consignment was handed over to the Anti-Narcotics Unit of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) at Eldoret International Airport for further investigations and enforcement action.
The investigation was later extended to Mombasa, where a suspect was arrested in connection with the shipment.
KRA said the interception highlights the role of customs risk profiling, X-ray scanning and physical verification in detecting illicit substances concealed in consignments whose declared contents do not match their actual contents.
The authority said it would continue working with other government agencies and using intelligence-led targeting, scanning technology and physical inspections to curb the trafficking of narcotic and psychotropic substances through Kenya’s borders.
