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Dutch national arrested at Entebbe Airport with Shs7.5b heroin
Mr Luke Oweyesigire, the deputy Kampala Metropolitan spokesperson inspects the drugs at Entebbe Airport on June 13, 2019. Photo by Paul Adude
KAMPALA. Police have seized heroin worth Shs7.5 billion that was concealed in chocolate packets and arrested a Dutch national at Entebbe International Airport.
It is the biggest single seizure of narcotic in Uganda.
The suspect was detained on offences of illegal possession and trafficking of narcotic drugs.
The Deputy spokesman of Kampala Metropolitan Police, Mr Luke Owoyesigyire, said it is the biggest single seizure of narcotics in decades at the international airport.
“Preliminary tests have been done and confirmed that the seized items are narcotic drugs. The suspect claims that he got the luggage from a West African national to deliver it to Italy,” Mr Owoyesigyire said.
He will be charged with unlawful possession of narcotic drugs contrary to section 4(1) and 2(a) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (control) Act 2016.
Police say he told them he did not know the packages contained illicit drugs.
“We are also expanding our investigations to establish whether trafficking of these drugs is done by an organised gang or network. We also want to appreciate officers from Aviation police together with sister agencies for the close coordination and job well done in the fight against drug trafficking,” he said.
Last month, police arrested seven suspects including two clearing agents who were trafficking heroin concealed in art crafts.
According a police report, on May 9, 2019, Das Cargo Export informed them that there was a luggage that was suspicious.
The luggage contained plastic shoes, craft open shoes, craft lady’s handbags, beads, but when they checked, they found narcotic drugs.
“We traced the owner of the luggage leading to the arrest of three people including the clearing agent. Six kilogrammes of suspected heroin were recovered,” Mr Owoyesigyire said.
On May 11, 2019, again Das Cargo Export helped the police to intercept a consignment destined to Liberia in money purses, back pack bags and ladies hand bags, suspected to be containing narcotic drugs concealed inside those items.
A clearing agent was arrested, but the owner, a Nigerian national, is still on the run.
He said on May 13, 2019, another consignment was intercepted and six kilogrammes of heroin were recovered.
On the same day, he said they intercepted narcotic drugs concealed in a suit case and 4.5kgs of suspected narcotic drugs of heroin were recovered.
Heroin is produced in Asian countries and trafficked to Uganda, which is considered as a transit country for narcotic drugs to Europe and United States.
