This archive report was first published on 21 October 2019.
On October 18, 2019, France 24 TV aired an investigative report revealing Mombasa's alarming rise as a major drug trafficking hub. The report exposed how heroin and cocaine from Asia and Latin America transit through the Port of Mombasa before reaching Europe and Dubai.
According to the report, most of the heroin reaches the port through ships from Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan. The original routes of the Middle East and the Balkans have been disrupted due to immigrant crises, making Mombasa a 'safe' destination for traffickers.
The value of the drugs trafficked through Mombasa is estimated to be 100 million euros (Sh11.6 billion) annually. The report attributes this new route to the poorly monitored Kenyan coast, which allows traffickers to smuggle drugs into the country using small boats and yachts.
The porous border of Lunga Lunga makes it easy for traffickers to smuggle drugs into Mombasa from neighboring Tanzania. Once the drugs are within Kenya's territory, smugglers have several options, including taking a plane to Europe or Dubai, moving the drugs to Nairobi for onward transit, or sending them to South Africa or West Africa.
