Wamuzi News Ke
A 26-year-old woman was arrested at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) just moments before boarding an international flight with over 600 grams of cocaine hidden inside her body.
Wendy Mbeke Muli’s plan to smuggle narcotics was cut short when sharp-eyed detectives from the Anti-Narcotics Unit noticed her suspicious behavior during a routine security screening. According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), her uneasy demeanor raised immediate alarm, prompting officers to subject her to a more intense physical and medical inspection.
“Mbeke, whose confidence was larger than her carry-on luggage, was intercepted at around 10 a.m. on June 13, 2025,” the DCI posted on X (formerly Twitter).
The examination led to a chilling discovery — Mbeke had swallowed pellets filled with cocaine, totaling 626.25 grams. She later expelled the illegal contents under medical supervision, with two pellets passed on the same day and six more the following day, June 14.
She remains in custody and is set to face drug trafficking charges in court on June 16, in what authorities are calling a textbook case of body-packing — a highly dangerous and often fatal smuggling technique.
This shocking arrest comes as part of a worrying trend in Kenya, where young women are increasingly being recruited into international drug cartels, seduced by promises of quick wealth but unaware of the deadly risks involved.
Many of these women come from vulnerable socio-economic backgrounds and are used as pawns in high-stakes smuggling operations, often with no full understanding of the law or the true street value of the narcotics they carry.
Just weeks ago, another Kenyan woman was caught in Mumbai, India, attempting to smuggle liquid cocaine worth KSh238 million. In a separate case, Margaret Nduta, 37, was sentenced to death in Vietnam in March after being found with over 2.3 kilograms of cocaine, a shipment valued at over KSh27 million.
Another Kenyan, Emily Kanini, 43, was arrested in April while trying to sneak $2.1 million worth of cocaine into India.
With Kenya increasingly under the spotlight for international drug trafficking, authorities warn that crackdowns at airports and border points will intensify.
This latest arrest serves as a blunt reminder that the cost of quick cash in the drug world may very well be one’s freedom — or even life.
