Kenya Revenue Authority officials had issued a Seizure Notice on dry Khat which had been packed in 52 bags. They were all branded as tea packets and had been sent by various exporters during the screening on Monday.
Detectives at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport have seized 500 kilogrammes of dry Khat concealed as tea packets, destined for the United States, Australia, and Austria.
One suspect has since been arrested as police carry on with the investigations. The seizure happens just a week after a similar one at the airport where detectives recovered heroin concealed in boxes of Lip Gloss
Yet in another incident, detectives recovered 12kgs of heroin that had been concealed as traditional baskets and sandals. The consignment which was destined for Monrovia-Liberia was delivered for export by a clearing agent.
JKIA, the largest and busiest airport in East Africa is considered as a regional hub for the transnational crime like drug trafficking. On February 26, detectives nabbed heroin worth Sh1.5 million, which was destined for the Republic of Guinea.
500Kgs of Narcotic ‘Dry Khat’-packed in 52 bags-concealed as Tea Packets, sent by various Exporters and destined to #UnitedStates, #Australia & Austria was intercepted yesterday by @DCI_Kenya Detectives during screening at #JKIA. @KRACare had issued a Seizure Notice on the goods. pic.twitter.com/vGINbYVJzx
— DCI KENYA (@DCI_Kenya) April 9, 2019
In 2018, KRA intercepted narcotics at the JKIA that had been declared as candy. The narcotics were concealed in a package of vitamin tablets that consisted of 26 vape cartridges filled with cannabis oil and five sachets each weighing one gram of hashish.