Police nab 2 foreigners in KIA drug haul

Robert Boaz, Kilimanjaro Police Commander

Police at the Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA) yesterday arrested two foreign nationals who they alleged were carrying 12.7 kilogrammes of drugs whose value is yet to be established, The Guardian can reliably report.

Josiane Dede Creppy (25), a Togolese and Grace Teta (34), a Liberian, were arrested before boarding flights to Accra, Ghana and Cape Town, South Africa respectively.


Kilimanjaro Police Commander Robert Boaz told this paper that Teta was arrested with 10.5 kilogrammes of the drugs. She was about to board a Precision Air flight from KIA through Nairobi and finally to Cape Town.

“Teta had flour believed to be drugs and was arrested at 04:45 hours. Her passport number is 1039080 and she is a Liberian. Josiand Dede Creppy was arrested at 02:50 hours with 2.2 kilogrammes and was supposed to fly from KIA on Ethiopian Airways heading to Ghana,” said Boaz.

The RPC said they have not yet established the type and value of the drugs, explaining: “Once we have arrested suspects, what we do is to hand them over to the head of anti-narcotics unit who establishes the value and type of the drugs,” 
In an exclusive interview with this paper, the head of the anti-narcotics unit, Assistant Commissioner of Police Godfrey Nzowa, confirmed the arrest of the two.

“I have news that the two have been arrested at KIA today. However, we cannot tell the exact name of the drugs they were found with. The police are investigating to establish the name of the drugs and we shall keep you posted once the investigations are over,” he said.

The arrest of the two comes barely a fortnight after a Nigerian was also caught carrying drugs at the same airport and follow Transport Minister Mwakyembe’s surprise visit to the airport.

Dr Mwakyembe threatened to dismiss airport officials who were collaborating with traffickers using the airport as the gateway for drugs.

The minister earlier this year plugged loopholes that drug traffickers had opened at the Julius Nyerere International Airport (JNIA). 

JNIA was before the minister’s move identified as the main gateway for drug traffickers in the region. However, JNIA now has modern and complex machines, including cameras that record everything taking place in the vicinity.

As a result of the measures, drug traffickers are said to have shifted to KIA, the second largest airport in the country.