Kenyan Woman Arrested In India For Smuggling Cocaine Worth Sh300M

Mumbai Customs officials have arrested a 43-year-old Kenyan woman for allegedly smuggling 1.7 kilogrammes of cocaine hidden in her luggage at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport.

Authorities said the drugs, valued at Sh268.35 million, were trafficked from Nairobi through Doha before reaching Mumbai.

Acting on intelligence reports, the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) intercepted Emily Kanini Rodha upon her arrival on Tuesday.

According to The Indian Express, officials became suspicious due to her nervous behavior, prompting them to inspect her baggage.

“During the examination of her trolley bag, officers noticed an unusual heaviness. Upon further inspection, a synthetic material was found affixed to the bottom. After removing it, we discovered four plastic packets containing a white powdery substance. Field tests confirmed it was cocaine,” a Customs official said.

Authorities seized the 1,789-gram consignment and took Rodha into custody for questioning.

Judy Wangeci Ngahu

She admitted to knowing the bag contained illegal substances and disclosed that she had been recruited by a woman named Millicent in Nairobi.

“Rodha stated that Millicent handed her the contraband in Nairobi and had also arranged her flights and hotel stay in Mumbai. She was promised Sh100,000 for successfully delivering the drugs to a contact in Delhi,” the official added.

Investigators believe Rodha was working for a larger drug syndicate operating between Africa and India.

“We suspect this is part of a wider network. Efforts are underway to identify her accomplices,” the official said.

Rodha has been charged under India’s Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and remains in custody as investigations continue.

Drug smuggling involving Kenyans

Her arrest comes amid heightened concerns over drug smuggling involving Kenyan nationals. The case follows another high-profile conviction of a Kenyan woman in Vietnam.

The Kenyan government is currently working to secure the life of Margaret Nduta Macharia, a 37-year-old woman sentenced to death in Vietnam for drug trafficking.

Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’Oei confirmed that the government is intervening in her case after pressure from leaders and concerned Kenyans.

“Nduta’s case is complex and difficult, but we are doing everything within our disposal to secure reprieve for our national,” Sing’Oei said.

Nduta was convicted on March 6 by the People’s Court in Ho Chi Minh City after being found guilty of smuggling over two kilogrammes of cocaine. She was arrested in July 2023 while in transit to Laos. However, her family says they only learned about her arrest and sentencing through the internet on March 8.

Her mother, Purity Wangari, has pleaded with the government to intervene and have her daughter repatriated to serve her sentence in Kenya.

“It was the first time my daughter was travelling overseas searching for greener pastures. I plead with the authorities to help bring her home, even if it means serving her sentence locally,” Wangari said.

She further claimed that Nduta was unaware that she was carrying drugs, alleging that the narcotics were hidden in luggage given to her by a Kenyan man for delivery to a woman abroad.

Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi had warned Kenyans living abroad against getting involved in illegal activities.

He expressed concern over the increasing number of Kenyans traveling to Asia for job opportunities but ending up entangled in scams and other unlawful dealings.

“We must ensure that Kenyans venturing into the diaspora do not fall into the trap of engaging in illegal activities. This is extremely important and must be taken seriously,” Mudavadi said.