A Kenyan woman has been arrested in India smuggling cocaine worth Sh270 million. Emily Kanini Rhoda, who is 43 years old, was arrested at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport after her luggage was inspected and found with the drugs.

She had from Nairobi, Kenya to India, through Doha, Qatar on April 1. She was singled out for inspection after officers noticed that she was overly nervous.

“During her examination of the trolley bag carried by her, the officers observed that it contained clothes and shoes. However, after removing all the contents of the said bag, the officers found the bag unusually heavy and on further examination, it was found that some synthetic material was affixed on the bottom side,” a customs statement by the Indian officials stated.

“On removing the said material, 04 transparent plastic packets were found glued to the bottom surface of the said trolley bag. All packets contained white powdered substance, which tested positive for the presence of cocaine, narcotic drug. We seized a total of 1,789 grams of cocaine from the passenger.”

After her interrogation, Emily Kanini Rhoda claimed that she received the drugs from a lady in Nairobi who had paid for her flight and accommodation in Mumbai.

“She admitted that she was aware of the contents of the bag and she had been promised Sh100,000 if she successfully smuggled the drugs to India,” the customs report stated.

“She was to be given Sh100,000 in Delhi for the successful delivery of the drugs to some accomplice. Since she was in need of the money, she accepted the offer of Millicent to earn some quick, easy money.”

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The authorities suspect that she was working for a drug syndicate that has been smuggling cocaine and other illegal drugs between India and a number of African countries including Kenya.

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

Her arrested comes amidst rising cases of Kenyan women who are being lured into the world of illegal drugs. Most of these women have been getting arrested at international airports, mainly in Asia.

Nearly all of those arrested are facing a minimum of life imprisonment, with some facing death penalties.