A Kenyan woman was arrested at Tan Son Nhat airport in Vietnam with 2.3 kilograms of cocaine.
The woman managed to avoid detection at three airports, including Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
The 35-year-old successfully smuggled the drugs through security at Bole International Airport in Ethiopia and Hamad International Airport in Qatar before being caught in Ho Chi Minh City.
The arrest was made after officials checked the woman’s luggage and discovered that her suitcase had been modified with a second bottom where the cocaine was hidden.
The value of the drugs found was estimated at around Sh350 million.
Police are still puzzled n how the woman evaded the other airport’s security systems.
Vietnam is known as a major hub for drug trafficking in the Golden Triangle, a region where China, Laos, Thailand and Myanmar meet.
The region is the world’s second-largest drug-producing area. The country’s 2,300km border with neighbouring states makes it a convenient route for gangs to smuggle drugs.
Smugglers find Ho Chi Minh City an attractive transit point because of its proximity to Cambodia.
Vietnam has some of the world’s toughest drug laws, and anyone found guilty of possessing or smuggling more than 600 grams of heroin or cocaine, or more than 2.5 kilograms of methamphetamine, faces the death penalty.
The arrest comes weeks after another Kenyan woman was arrested in India for smuggling in cocaine valued at Sh560 million that was concealed inside whiskey bottles.
Local media reported that the woman was arrested at the international airport in Delhi.
After arriving from Kenya via Addis Ababa, the suspect was intercepted by authorities. Customs officials discovered 2.5kg of cocaine inside three whiskey bottles in her bag from a duty-free shop.
In February, another passenger was arrested in India for attempting to smuggle heroin after arriving in Mumbai from Harare via Nairobi.
