NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 11- Two Lithuanian nationals enroute to Dubai were Thursday night arrested by Anti-Nacortics Unit detectives at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), after heroin approximated at two kilos valued at Sh4 million was confiscated from their travel bags.
Police say the highly addictive hard drug was found during the procedural search on travellers’ belongings.
The two suspects identified as Stendelis Rokas and Brencius Karolis aged 20 and 30 years respectively had concealed the heroin at the false bottoms of their suitcases.
They are under interrogation before they appear in court.
Police say they are yet to establish the source of the narcotics. Cases of narcotics trafficking are on the rise in the country.
It comes at a time when Parliament is considering new tough proposals that will see drug traffickers pay fines of up to Sh50 million, in what could be a turning point in the fight against narcotics in the country.
There are no such tough conditions in the current laws, which often help the traffickers to get lenient sentences and fines.
The proposals, contained in the Narcotics, Drugs and psychotropic Substances (Control) amendment Bill, 2020 also target law enforcement officers who collude with drug traffickers to defeat the cause of justice, manufacturers of substance used as raw material for drugs and users of illegal substances.
For instance, on drug traffickers, the proposed law sets down penalties commensurate with quantities nabbed.
People found in possession of more than 101 gm of the narcotics will receive the harshest penalties (Sh50million and life imprisonment), while those in possession of 51-100gm risking fines of not less than Sh30million and jail terms of not less than 20 years.
According to the bill, those found in possession of between 0.1-50gm will be subjected to fines of not less than Sh20 million, jail terms of not less than 15 years or both.
The current law proposes a fine of Sh1 million, or three times the market value of the drug or whichever is greater.
Under the proposed law, police officers, investigators and prevention officers who assist drug traffickers carry out their trade will be liable to fines of not less than Sh20million, imprisonment of terms of not less than 20 years or both upon conviction.
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