Mumbai, India – May 16: Authorities in India have arrested a Kenyan woman suspected of smuggling liquid cocaine worth approximately Ksh246 million into the country, disguised in moisturizing lotion bottles.
Table of Contents:
Drug Concealment in Lotion Bottles
According to the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), the arrest occurred at Mumbai International Airport after officials detected suspicious liquid in the passenger’s luggage. The suspect had arrived from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Two bottles labeled as moisturizing lotion were found to contain 1,571 grams of viscous liquid that later tested positive for cocaine. Authorities confirmed that the smuggling method was designed to resemble common cosmetic products, making it difficult to detect.
Kenyan Nationals and Drug Trafficking Abroad
This incident is not isolated. Several Kenyan nationals have faced arrest and prosecution abroad in connection to narcotics trafficking:
- Margaret Nduta Macharia – Sentenced to death in Vietnam in 2025 after being found with over two kilograms of cocaine.
- Floviance Owino – Arrested in China in 2013 with drugs; her death sentence was suspended for two years.
- Rose Achieng Ojala – Found guilty in Malaysia in 2017 for trafficking 400g of methamphetamine. She had swallowed 68 capsules and concealed more drugs in her underwear.
India’s Anti-Drug Crackdown
The arrest forms part of India’s intensified crackdown on international drug smuggling under the Nasha Mukt Bharat (Drug-Free India) initiative. The DRI stated this case highlights the growing sophistication in drug concealment techniques and their continued vigilance in combating narcotics trafficking.
Legal Action Underway
The woman has been charged under India’s Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. She remains in custody and is expected to be arraigned in court pending further investigations.
Kenya’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not yet commented on the case. However, similar incidents have prompted calls for increased education and support for Kenyans traveling abroad to deter involvement in illegal trafficking.
For more updates on Kenyan nationals abroad and international crime, visit our Kenya News Today section.
