Authorities are now dealing with yet another drug trafficking incident after two kilos of bhang were discovered at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi.
The recovery has added to growing concern about how criminal networks continue to use airports and commercial flights to move illegal substances despite increased security checks.
The drugs had been shipped from Bangkok, Thailand, and were hidden inside what appeared to be latex natural cushions.
Detectives say the package was neatly sealed in a carton and wrapped in a polythene bag before it was stopped at the cargo section on Tuesday morning.
The parcel was on its way to Embakasi in Nairobi, and investigators are now working to identify both the sender and the intended recipient.
The officers handling the case noted that it was unusual for traffickers to import bhang into the country, especially when the same drug is already widely available locally.
Their focus is now on understanding whether the shipment is linked to a bigger network that may be using international routes to avoid local crackdowns.
Police said on Wednesday that no one had been arrested in connection with the seizure, but they were following crucial leads that could help them piece together the full chain behind the attempted smuggling.
The interception happened at a time when airports have been placed under intense scrutiny following rising cases of drug trafficking.
Just days before, another dramatic arrest took place at the same airport. A 34-year-old woman arriving from Addis Ababa was stopped by Anti-Narcotics Unit officers after they received specific intelligence regarding her movements.
She was taken in for observation, and within minutes she began releasing pellets she had swallowed to conceal cocaine during her journey.
By the time she had expelled all of them, the count had reached 28 pellets weighing slightly over 912 grams, a haul worth millions of shillings on the streets.
An X-ray scan later confirmed that she had emptied everything, clearing the way for charges to be filed against her.These rising cases have pushed authorities to review how airports and airlines can strengthen cooperation in stopping cross-border criminals.
A meeting was recently held between the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and Kenya Airways to discuss how drug traffickers and human traffickers have been misusing Kenya’s aviation routes.
The DPP, Renson Ingonga, and the Kenya Airways Managing Director, Allan Kilavuka, led the discussions, which focused on improving investigations, speeding up prosecutions, and boosting information sharing to detect threats before they escalate.
Officials say that criminal groups have become more advanced, using gaps within airport operations to hide narcotics or to move vulnerable people across borders.
The numbers reveal the extent of the problem. More than 3.2 tonnes of drugs have been seized across Kenya between 2024 and 2025. Heroin interceptions at airports have gone up by over 27 percent, while JKIA alone has recorded more than 40 arrests connected to drug trafficking networks.
Over 150 trafficking cases linked to airlines have also been documented in the last ten years, showing how persistent the challenge remains.Both the ODPP and KQ agreed to work on a structured approach that will make it easier to detect trafficking early, report it quickly, and handle evidence in a way that strengthens court cases.
They emphasized the need for close coordination among investigators, airport staff, and airline crews.
Security agencies say these joint efforts are part of wider measures being rolled out across all entry points to deal with the growing threat posed by organized drug networks.
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