On July 14th, a Kenyan lady was apprehended in Vietnam after she was discovered concealing 2.3 kilograms of cocaine inside her suitcase. The arrest was made by Ho Chi Minh City police department officers.
However, what rattled the Vietnamese cops was the 35-year-old’s ability to sneak the product past 3 high-level security checkpoints in different countries. She went undetected in Kenya, Ethiopia and Qatar, before being flagged down in Vietnam.
This has raised an alarming concern over security and screening protocols in each of the three airports.
It is said that the woman, who has been identified by the initials M.M.N, travelled from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi, to Bole International in Ethiopia.
She took a connecting flight to Hamad International Airport in Qatar, before eventually touching down at the Tan Son Nhat Airport in Vietnam.
With the aid of investigations from customs officials and Border guards, the police detectives were able to nab her and end her remarkable journey.
Initial reports have indicated that the Kenyan woman’s suitcase had a false top & bottom that seemed to go unnoticed through 3 different screenings at security checkpoints. This was where she stashed the goods.
The airport’s baggage scanning staff caught her in possession of 2 bags of cocaine worth approximately Sh. 30 million in the international market
In Kenya, a kilogram of cocaine can fetch you between Sh. 4 million and Sh. 5 million. In the international market, prices may be as high as Sh. 12 million per kilo.
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In a country where penalties for individuals identified to be in the drug trade can go to extremes of death penalties, the Kenyan woman remains to see what her fate will be.
The Vietnamese Penal Code states that she could be punishable by a prison sentence of 2-15 years, a life sentence or a death penalty.
Vietnam has been for years a pivot in the narcotics trade for the popular Golden Triangle region. The area, known for being the second-largest world producer of drugs encompasses China, Laos, Thailand and Myanmar.
