A Kenyan lady identified as Mary Njeri has been arrested in Ghana after allegedly being caught smuggling cocaine.
She was arrested at the Kotoka International Airport by the state’s narcotics unit (NACOC). The cocaine is estimated to have a street value of Sh. 41.6 million (USD 309,120), and weighs up to 11.04 kilograms.
A statement released by Ghana’s Narcotics Contol Commission explained that Mary Njeri was nabbed after a customary check at the Airport’s arrival lobby.
She had landed in Ghana from a South African Airline that travelled from Nairobi to Accra via Johannesburg. Njeri hid the contraband under several food packets in her suitcases.
“A search of her luggage revealed packets of Cremora containing the hidden drugs. Preliminary questioning revealed that she had confirmed possession of the consignment in her luggage, and she was later arrested for further investigation,” the statement read.
NACOC stated that they had sent exhibits of the illicit drug to Ghana Standard Authority for further investigations. Meanwhile, Ms. Njeri has been locked up in prison, awaiting trial and prosecution.
“We wish to use this medium to remind the general public that the possession and transportation of illicit drugs without lawful authority is illegal and punishable under sections 40(1) and 41(1) of Act 2019 of the Narcotics Control Commission Act 2020,” the commission asserted.
The Act states that having or handling any narcotic drug without a valid reason is illegal, and the burden of proof is on the person who does so.
The Act also aims to create a more compassionate drug policy and adopt the country’s best methods for managing narcotic drugs.
This is the second time running that a lady has been caught smuggling drugs into Ghana. A similar incident occurred in 2015 when Kenyan socialite Peninah Lema alias Pesh, was arrested and prosecuted.
READ: Solomon Kimeu: I sell detection dogs for as much as 5 million Shillings
Pesh was released from a maximum prison facility in Kumasi earlier this year in February. She had served almost 7 years and is now out on probation.
Last week, another Kenyan woman was arrested in Hong Kong after being caught with 1 kilogram of narcotics.
It is widely reported that the woman started acting ‘funny’ when she arrived at Hong Kong International Airport from Nairobi via Addis Ababa.
The woman was chosen for a check by customs officers who then took her to a nearby hospital for a scan. Allegedly, she was harbouring 67 pellets of narcotics in her body, with an estimated street value of Sh. 15 million.
At the hospital, while being examined, she excreted the drugs, forcing local authorities to cuff her and charge her with one count of drug trafficking.
“The maximum penalty on conviction is a fine of Sh. 85 million (HK$5 million and life imprisonment,” states the Hong Kong Customs.
