A Kenyan woman has been arrested at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) in Mumbai, India, after authorities discovered 1.57 litres of liquid cocaine ingeniously concealed in cosmetic containers. The estimated street value of the drugs is ₹15.71 crore — approximately Ksh238 million.
The arrest was confirmed by officials from India’s Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), who acted on a tip-off. The cocaine was hidden in two bottles labelled as moisturising lotion, using a concealment method that exploited the similarity in viscosity between the drug and beauty products.
The suspect, whose name has not been disclosed, was taken into custody under India’s stringent Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Investigations are ongoing to identify the intended recipient and unravel the criminal network behind the smuggling attempt.
Authorities believe the woman was part of a larger, well-organised international drug trafficking ring, with recruitment strategies targeting vulnerable individuals from East Africa. The use of Kenyan nationals, especially women, has become an emerging trend in smuggling operations targeting Indian entry points.
This incident is the latest in a worrying pattern. On April 3, another Kenyan woman was arrested in India with 1.7 kilograms of cocaine, valued at between Ksh225 million and Ksh300 million. In a separate case, a third Kenyan woman was intercepted at the same Mumbai airport with internally concealed cocaine pellets worth Ksh215 million.
The DRI noted that many of the couriers had transited through Addis Ababa, Ethiopia — a common hub for international traffickers exploiting gaps in passenger screening. Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) and Addis Ababa’s Bole International Airport have been flagged as increasingly vulnerable transit points in global drug routes.
“These syndicates are becoming more sophisticated in how they recruit and conceal narcotics. The use of cosmetic products to transport liquid cocaine is just one of many evolving strategies,” a senior DRI official said.
Security experts are now calling for greater vigilance, stronger inter-agency collaboration, and tightened airport security in African transit hubs. Kenyan authorities are also under pressure to investigate the recruitment networks operating domestically and take decisive action to prevent further exploitation of its citizens in the global narcotics trade.
The suspect remains in Indian custody as investigations intensify.
