Ugandan woman extradited in Kenya over drug trafficking
Ikareut, who was extradited with the help of Interpol, was apprehended at the immigration area of Terminal IE at JKIA upon arrival and was formally rearrested
A Ugandan woman has been extradited to Kenya to face charges of drug trafficking after the Director of Public Prosecution was granted the application by a Nairobi court.
During the hearing before Principal Magistrate Irene Gichobi at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) law courts, approved the DPP’s request to hold Hellen Ikareut in custody pending the completion of investigations under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act.
The prosecuting counsel, led by John Tago, told the court that officers from the Anti-Narcotics Unit intercepted a suspicious shipment on May 18, 2023, at the DHL cargo shed at JKIA.
The consignment, reportedly sent by Ikareut from Kitengela, a Nairobi suburb, was destined for Chris Kagawa Manana Godaibiya in Bahrain.
It contained 25 shower curtains concealing a greenish plant material, which, upon verification, tested positive for narcotic substances.
Following the discovery, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Anti-Narcotics Unit seized the parcel as evidence. Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect had fled to Uganda shortly after the shipment, prompting the DPP to seek assistance from the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) for her extradition.
Ikareut was apprehended at the immigration area of Terminal IE at JKIA upon arrival and was formally rearrested.
Magistrate Gichobi ordered that the suspect be held at Embakasi Police Station for three working days to facilitate the weighing and analysis of the suspected narcotics by a government chemist, in her presence.
During the hearing, Gichobi also directed that statements from key witnesses be recorded during this period.
The matter is scheduled for mention later next week for further directions
