Kenyan stewardess held over drugs haul

Police found the heroin wrapped in plastic bags

A Kenya Airways flight attendant has been arrested with 28kg of heroin at Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, police said.

The heroin, with a street value of $700,000, was intercepted on Monday night as the attendant arrived on a flight from Bombay, in India.

Koskei says smuggling is on the rise at the airport

Police said the suspect, Priscillah Jemtai Korogel, was off duty at the time.

Jonathan Koskei, deputy head of the airport police, said it was one of the largest drugs hauls made at the airport, and a sign that trafficking could be on the increase.

Immigration sources said a contact waiting to pick up the heroin at the airport had escaped.

Transit point

Ms Korogel is expected to appear in court on Wednesday and could face up to 10 years in jail if found guilty of drug smuggling.

Kenya Airways said it would work with airlines unions and police to prevent further incidents.

The head of the anti-narcotics unit said there had been other cases of Kenya Airways employees being found with drugs, in Bombay and the UK.

The BBC's Alice Muthengi, in Nairobi, says the latest incident comes at time when Kenya has been named as a transit point for drugs to Europe and other destinations.

Kenyan police, however, say they have intensified security at airports, borders and sea ports.