Hellen Ikareut, a Ugandan woman accused of orchestrating a high-stakes cannabis trafficking operation into Kenya. 
By Andrew Mbuva
A two-year cross-border manhunt has ended with the dramatic arrest and extradition of Hellen Ikareut, a Ugandan woman accused of orchestrating a high-stakes cannabis trafficking operation into Kenya.
Ikareut, described by investigators as a key player in a transnational drug syndicate, was captured in Uganda on August 5, 2025, after months of joint operations between Kenyan and Ugandan authorities. She was handed over to Kenyan law enforcement under the East African Community’s Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) and extradition framework.
Her trail began on May 18, 2023, when detectives at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport’s DHL Cargo Section intercepted a suspicious shipment. Concealed inside 25 shower curtains, a carton box contained 4,186.34 grams of cannabis sativa — a smuggling ploy aimed at slipping past customs.
According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), intelligence gathering and surveillance pointed to Ikareut as the mastermind. She fled to Uganda shortly after the bust, evading arrest for more than two years.
Working with the Office of the Attorney General, Interpol Kenya, and Ugandan security agencies, detectives tracked her movements and eventually uncovered her hideout. The coordinated swoop ended with her arrest and swift extradition to Nairobi.
On August 11, 2025, Ikareut was arraigned at the JKIA Law Courts, where she faced charges of Trafficking in Narcotic Drugs. She is set to appear again on August 25 for mention of her case.
Authorities hailed the operation as a model of regional cooperation in combating organised crime. “By pooling intelligence, legal tools, and enforcement resources across borders, East African nations are proving that coordinated action can dismantle trafficking networks and bring fugitives to account,” the DCI said in a statement.
If convicted, Ikareut faces heavy penalties under Kenya’s stringent anti-narcotics laws, which prescribe long prison terms and hefty fines for trafficking offences.
