Pubdate: Sun, 24 Sep 2006 Source: Daily Nation (Kenya) Copyright: 2006 Nation Newspapers Contact: http://www.nationaudio.com/News/DailyNation/Today/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/868 Author: Stephen Muiruri MORE KENYANS FALLING PREY TO DRUG TRAFFICKING An increasing number of Kenyans are being used as couriers for international drug syndicates which have found a ready market in Europe and the US. Most of the Kenyan mules - couriers who hide the drug on themselves or their luggage, or even ingest it - have been arrested trying to smuggle in heroin instead of the more expensive cocaine. Cocaine has a much higher value than heroin in the local and international markets. A kilo of cocaine fetches Sh5 million, while that of heroin goes for Sh1.5 million. Couriers who have been arrested include models, airline stewards and stewardesses and business people who fall prey to the high returns they are guaranteed if they deliver the consignments. Between January 2003 and September 1, this year, 233 Kenyans and 85 non-Kenyans were held for trafficking in heroin, say Kenyan police. Tanzanians constitute the highest number of foreigners seized with 33, followed by Nigerians 14 and Ghanaians 11. Ugandans, Seychellois, Somalis, Congolese, South Africans and Mauritanians are the others arrested as they tried to smuggle in heroin through Jomo Kenyatta, Moi and Eldoret International airports. But the amounts so far impounded pale into insignificance before the 1.1 tonnes of heroin worth Sh6.4 billion seized in a Malindi beach house stuffed in a speedboat and in a Nairobi warehouse in December 2004. Considered to be the biggest seizure of heroin in Africa, the haul was being repackaged for onward transmission to the Netherlands. Apart from the haul which has since been destroyed, 119 kg of heroin worth more than Sh179 million was impounded from couriers at the Kenyan airports in the past three years. During the same period, cocaine with an estimated street value of Sh6.7 billion was impounded and 38 people held, 19 of them Kenyan mules. Police Spokesman Gideon Kibunja attributed the growing number of Kenyans arrested to foreign couriers avoiding the country's airports because of the stringent anti-drug trafficking measures being implemented. "Most West African drug traffickers have been shying away from our airports because of the stringent measures by anti-narcotics police and customs officers," he said. "Many Kenyans have turned to the narcotics trade because they think they attract less suspicion from Kenyan security personnel. They are very wrong. All nationals are subjected to the same security check-ups." Mr Kibunjah said most of people arrested with drugs are couriers who are only carrying them for other people. None of those arrested had given names of the people using them to traffic drugs which would help police with investigations. "Most of those arrested often say they were given some luggage by somebody with instructions that they be met on arrival in Kenya," he says. "Once the persons waiting to receive the luggage realises the courier has been arrested, they disappear into thin air." Many couriers serving long prison terms say they were given clothes with buttons packed with cocaine, shoes or even suitcases with false bottoms by newly-found friends who request them to carry the stuff through customs. The couriers do not know who is supposed to meet them, but are informed that they will be paid a substantial amount of money after delivering the package. People waiting to meet the couriers disappear when they realise they have been caught. Mr Kibunja said that while most Kenyan mules prefer to conceal the drugs in their luggage, Tanzanians, West Africans and Pakistanis swallow pellets stuffed with the powder. His claim that most of the drug being trafficked is for use elsewhere in the region, Europe and America contradicts findings of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. - --- MAP posted-by: Elaine