Saturday
April 2, 2011
April 2, 2011
File | NATION Police officers guard a heroin consignment at the city’s Wilson Airport. Some 102 kilogrammes were seized.
By GALGALO BOCHA gbocha@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted Friday, April 1 2011 at 22:00
Posted Friday, April 1 2011 at 22:00
In Summary
- British embassy, which suspects graft, asks force to explain how it arrived at 102 kilos after earlier reports of 196 kg
Britain on Friday weighed in on the controversy over the weight of heroin seized by police last weekend, saying it feared corruption was at play.
It challenged police to explain how they had arrived at 102 kilogrammes compared to earlier reports of 196 kilogrammes.
Police have blamed the discrepancy in the weight of heroin seized last week in Shanzu area, Mombasa, on the wrapping materials used to carry the illicit drug.
Police spokesman Erick Kiraithe said the Weight and Measures Department had established that the net weight of the seized heroin was 102 kilogrammes and gross weight 196 kilogrammes.
But the British embassy in Nairobi, through its press officer John Bradshaw, suspects corruption and fraud on the part of police.
“It is unheard of for plastic bags for such an amount of drugs to weigh 94kg and it would be of great interest to all if the police could demonstrate to the public how heavy these bags are,” he said in a statement on Friday.
“Otherwise, we fear that corruption and fraud, the Achilles’ heel of Kenyan efforts to counter the narcotics trade, is again at play,” he added.
The spokesman challenged the Kenya Government to seriously deal with corruption in order to effectively fight illegal drug trade and organised criminals in the country.
“If the Kenyan authorities are serious about protecting the Kenyan people from the scourge of drugs and organised criminals, they will need to get to grips with corruption and malign influences in official systems,” he said.
He, however, praised the security agencies for intercepting the heroin.
Mr Bradshaw said the security forces have proved to have the capacity to deal with drug barons who target the country as a transit point for illicit drugs destined for Asia and several parts of Europe.
No comments:
Post a Comment