A female police officer attached to the Likoni police station was among seven people arrested in Mombasa and Kwale counties in connection with a drug haul worth Sh18 million.
Police on Sunday evening said Hamdi Yusuf Maalim was arrested in a house in Diani where she was cohabiting with another drug suspect, Said Mohammed Abdalla alias Shuaz. They said she has not stayed long in the service.
According to police, Maalim had started distributing drugs to Garissa in a bid to expand the network.
Shuaz was also arrested in the sting operation that has been ongoing for the past five days.
Coast regional coordinator John Elungata described Shuaz as a notorious drug trafficker operating a distribution network within Likoni and "who has been operating with impunity".
“He is a drug trafficker who has remained elusive through corrupting influences,” Elungata, who briefed the press at the Coast regional police headquarters, said.
The regional security committee head said drug traffickers prefer using newly recruited officers to help them gain intelligence on police operations, which they use to either bribe officers or escape police dragnets.
Others arrested in the operation include Zainab Abdi Farah, Halima Mohamed Abdalla, Rosemary Kavinya, Omar Sharif Hussein and Alfan Rama Ali.
This comes a day before Mombasa tycoon Ali Punjani, whose house was raided by police officers in connection with narcotics, is set to jet into the country.
Police say they have invited Punjani, who has on several occasions been linked to the nefarious drugs trade at the Coast, for questioning.
Punjani was mentioned as having links with the infamous Akasha brothers who have been convicted in a US court for drug-related offences after being arrested and extradited in 2014.
On Sunday evening, police told reporters they are probing whether Punjani has any links with the arrested suspects.
Police said the seven were arrested with approximately 3kg of cocaine worth approximately Sh12 million and 2kg of heroin valued at Sh6 million.
Police also confiscated a Black Toyota Prado with registration KCK 577P, a Toyota Vitz with registration KCV 251Q and a Tour Van registration KCR 847Q.
Elungata said they are also tracking a fourth vehicle, a Toyota Harrier, linked to the seven.
The owner of the Black Toyota Prado, who is one of the arrested suspects, however, pronounced his innocence to the media, saying his house and car were searched but nothing was found.
“This is just to make it clear. They have got nothing on me. They arrested me on Thursday, took me to Nyali police station where I spent a night and then to Port police station,” he said.
Farah is said to operate a distribution network of heroin in Kisauni.
She has a case in court for trafficking approximately 1kg of heroin on April 30 within Kisauni.
She was charged together with her mother Salma Bakari Ali.
Abdalla is the wife of Masuo Bakari Tajiri, who is believed to be an associate in a drugs cartel managed by Swaleh Ahmed. Ahmed is facing charges of trafficking more than 100kg of heroin.
Kavinya is said to also operate a distribution network within Mombasa county which she used to manage with her former husband Kassim Athuman.
Police described Hussein as a high-profile drug trafficker who has been managing a distribution network of cocaine and heroin within the Coast region.
“He is associated with the seizure of about 3kg of cocaine that was recovered on August 3. He operates a cosmetics shop along Digo Road next to Bank of Baroda,” Elungata said.
The Coast police boss said police have a long list of people in the cartel, including police officers who have been shielding traffickers.
“The list gets longer by the day. We are getting the names from the public.”
He said they are slowly getting to the bigwigs, some of whom have escaped into Tanzania.
“We will get you, whether you are one of us, a public servant of otherwise,” Elungata said.
Last Thursday, a group of women protested outside the Whitesands Beach Hotel where Chief Justice David Maraga was leading a judges’ colloquium.
The protestors accused the Judiciary of shielding drugs suspect 'while their children are being destroyed by the drugs menace'.
Maraga admitted there are judicial officers who have been working in cahoots with drug traffickers but said there has been no strong evidence linking them with what they are accused of.
He, however, said he is determined to clean the Judiciary.
“This work needs a collaborative effort from all of us,” Maraga said.
Elungata said they will never tire of arresting suspects no matter how many times the Judiciary releases them.
This is because Tajiri and his wife Abdalla have been arrested more than twice this year for drug-related offences but have been released each time.
Edited by R.Wamochie
