Kenyan woman arrested at Indian airport with cocaine worth Ksh.271M says she was promised Ksh.100K

A 43-year-old Kenyan woman is currently being detained by authorities in India for attempting to smuggle cocaine worth USD 2.1 million (approx. Ksh.271.4 million) into the South Asian nation.

Emily Kanini Rhoda was arrested on Tuesday by customs officials at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International (CSMI) Airport in Mumbai immediately after arriving from Nairobi via Doha.

The cocaine, weighing a total of 1,789 grams, was discovered in her luggage.

Indian customs officials say Rhoda’s anxious behavior led them to suspect she might be ferrying contraband.

“During the 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,” read part of the customs statement.

“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, a narcotic drug. We seized a total of 1,789 grams of cocaine from the passenger.”

During interrogation, Rhoda allegedly told authorities that a woman from Nairobi, only identified as Millicent, had promised her Ksh.100,000 to smuggle the contraband into India.

“Rhoda has admitted that she was aware of the contents of the bag and she had been promised Ksh.100,000 ($775) if she successfully smuggled the drugs to India,” customs officials noted.

“She was to be given Ksh.100,000 in Delhi for the successful delivery of the drugs to some accomplice of Millicent. Since she was in need of money, she accepted the offer of Millicent to earn some quick, easy money.”

Further, Rhoda informed authorities that Millicent had also arranged her flight and accommodation in Mumbai.

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

If found guilty, Rhoda could face severe penalties. Offenders caught with less than a kilogram of drugs may receive sentences of up to six months in prison or a fine.

However, those found with larger amounts, deemed by authorities as a “commercial quantity,” could be sentenced to more than 20 years in prison, along with a hefty fine.

Rhoda’s arrest comes just weeks after another Kenyan woman, Margaret Nduta, was sentenced to death for attempting to smuggle over 2.3 kilograms of cocaine, worth Ksh.27 million, in Vietnam.