NAIROBI, April 19 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan police are interrogating a suspect who was arrested on Wednesday over the seizure of 23 kilograms of heroin valued about $400,000 that was destined for Netherlands.

(Photo: standardmedia.co.ke)

Head of Police's Anti-Narcotics Unit Hamis Massa confirmed the arrest on Thursday, saying the suspect is working at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi.

"We believe the drugs were packaged in Nairobi and efforts to get more suspects are ongoing," Massa said.

He said the cargo was concealed in a package labeled Kericho Gold Tea when it was intercepted at the KLM Airside.

Security officials said the narcotics were packaged and were to be sent as a cargo to Amsterdam. Massa said they are investigating to establish the origin of the narcotics.

Security officials at the airport credited the burst to a fall out among members of the drug cartel who were poised to traffic the cache on Tuesday night before one of them failed to load the narcotics on the intended flight.

Police say the plan involved staff at the airport and efforts to get all those behind it were ongoing.  

The arrest is the latest in a series of others that have happened in the past days through the country's airports. Most traffickers arrested at Kenyan airports are usually on transit. 

According to police seizures and arrest statistics show that more Africans are becoming involved in the drug trafficking of especially heroin.

Traffickers have also increasingly become smarter because of improved surveillance at the airports and have now resorted to using roads to reach their intended destinations.