Man arrested with bhang worth Sh500,000 in Mathioya

Police in Murang'a have arrested a man who was found in possession of bhang worth Sh500,000 in Mathioya.

Gitugi assistant county commissioner Chrispine Otieno said Nyamu Kibui was arrested in a home in Chui village following a raid.

The administrator said the suspect is a member of notorious gang of bhang suppliers in Mathioya subcounty with networks extending to Iyego and Karugia in the neighbouring Kangema subcounty.

Otieno said the raid followed a tip-off by the public.

He said police found 123 rolls, 12 stones, 14 bhang broomsticks with another 2kg of unsorted bhang, 90 sachets and a pair of scissors.

Otieno said drug peddlers had taken advantage of the Huduma Namba registration drive that heavily involved administrators to expand their illegal trade.

“We had worked on it last year and managed to reduce it but they have been trying to make a comeback in the recent past,” Otieno said.

He said several bhang sellers have been arrested and that everything possible was being done to ensure the drug's consumption was eradicated.

A report by the National Authority for Campaign Against Drug Abuse released last week named Murang’a among counties with the highest drug abuse among students.

The report isays drugs especially cigarettes, alcohol and miraa are readily available in schools.

County commissioner Mohamed Barre had early this month raised concerns over the high rate of bhang smoking.

Barre said most of the bhang was being sourced from as far as Ethiopia.

Edited by Peter Obuya