51-year-old woman arrested over smuggling cocaine

Nankanja with the pair of shorts she allegedly used to smuggle the cocaine. Looking on is Ssekate

Aviation Police at Entebbe Airport has arrested a 51-year-old woman identified as Allen Nankanja who was allegedly smuggling 3.5kg of cocaine, neatly knitted in the pair of shorts she was wearing. 

According to Vincent Ssekate, the CID Police spokesperson, Nankanja was arrested on October 13, on arrival from Brazil aboard Ethiopian Airways.

"According to her passport, she is a health worker and has moved to many countries including Tanzania, Kenya, Mozambique, Brazil and Malawi," noted Ssekate.

The CID spokesperson further revealed that Nankanja was a second-time offender in related incidences.

"She was one time arrested at Malaba border, trying to smuggle drugs from Nairobi to Uganda, but since we had a weak law on narcotics then, she was only fined sh2m and released," added Ssekate.

When asked about the matter, Nankanja a resident of Makerere-Kikoni, accepted that she was wearing the pair of shorts, but that she did not know what exactly was inside.

"There is a certain lady called Teddy whom I met in Brazil and she gave me the package which I was supposed to deliver to some Nigerians here in Uganda, with a promise of paying me $6000," said Nankanja.

She did not, however, disclose the identities of the Nigerians to whom she was to deliver the package, saying they were supposed to meet her at the airport upon her arrival.

Ssekate said, the suspect will be charged in court. "State prosecutors are currently on strike, but when courts resume work, she will be charged according to the Narcotic Drug and Psychotropic Substance control Act," asserted Ssekate.

"The cocaine she was carrying, is estimated to be worth sh1b and if she is found guilty, she will be fined three times that price or get a custodial penalty of not less than 15 years," added Ssekate.