A multi-agency team has intercepted methamphetamine worth Ksh10.56 million at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), in yet another drug trafficking attempt disguised as ordinary cargo.

The seizure was made on May 6, 2026, at around 11:30 am, during a verification exercise led by the Anti-Narcotics Unit (ANU) at the United Parcel Service–G4S facility within the Kenya Airways cargo shed.

According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the consignment was bound for Las Piñas in the Philippines and had been falsely declared as “handmade bags and clothes” to evade detection.

However, officers became suspicious and carried out a physical inspection in the presence of other agencies. Inside two handbags, they found white crystalline substances carefully packed in clear wrapping materials.

“Upon meticulous physical examination in the presence of the joint team, officers uncovered a sinister cargo,” the DCI said in its statement posted on Wednesday, May 7.

Preliminary forensic tests later confirmed the substance to be methamphetamine weighing 1,320 grams. Authorities valued the haul at Ksh10,560,000 based on prevailing street market rates used in narcotics investigations.

The consignment was immediately seized and marked as exhibit. Investigators have since launched a probe to trace those behind the shipment and the wider trafficking network.

“The consignment has been seized and detained as exhibit. Meanwhile, investigations are underway to bring the traffickers involved to book,” the agency added.

Rising airport drug seizures

The interception comes amid a string of similar drug busts at JKIA in recent months. Just days earlier, authorities reported the seizure of methamphetamine worth Ksh21.8 million in two separate consignments also destined for the Philippines. One was hidden in car pistons, while another was traced back to Juja.

The repeated attempts highlight what investigators describe as a persistent effort by international drug syndicates to use Nairobi as a transit hub for narcotics bound for Asia.

In a separate case last year, DCI officers arrested a drug courier arriving from Addis Ababa after detecting cocaine pellets she had swallowed. The suspect later expelled 14 pellets under medical supervision at the airport.

Security agencies say traffickers are constantly changing concealment methods, forcing officers to rely on intelligence and close coordination between units.

The DCI has maintained that valuation of seized drugs follows a structured process. Officers first weigh the substances using calibrated equipment, then apply current illicit market rates before forensic confirmation by the Government Chemist.

“This structured approach ensures accuracy and strengthens prosecution under the law,” the agency has previously explained.

Authorities say they are now stepping up surveillance and intelligence-led operations at JKIA and other entry points to disrupt trafficking routes.

The latest seizure adds pressure on investigators to identify the source of the methamphetamine and the intended recipients in the Philippines, as Kenya continues to position itself as a transit country targeted by international drug networks.