- The cargo had been sent by a person who is yet to be identified, police said.
- Spot test turned out positive for a narcotic drug namely Cannabis Sativa weighing approximately 4940 grams, police said.
Image: FILE
Police are investigating the source of a consignment of bhang that was destined for Bahrain disguised as shower curtains.
The four kilos of the cannabis sativa had been hidden in 25 pieces of shower curtains and was being sent as cargo through an international courier company.
Police at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport said they were at the weekend tipped off the cargo and visited the warehouse where they established it had been sent from the Kitengela area.
The cargo had been sent by a person who is yet to be identified, police said.
Upon searching, the officers recovered greenish-dry plant material concealed in each of the 25 pieces of shower curtains.
Spot test turned out positive for a narcotic drug namely Cannabis Sativa weighing approximately 4940 grams, police said.
Head of Anti Narcotics Unit Margaret Karanja said they are investigating the source of the drug.
She said bhang remains banned and those handling the same will be prosecuted.
Police have been mounting operations to tame drug trafficking and consumption in vain.
Most of the cannabis is produced locally while some is imported from Ethiopia and Tanzania.
In Kenya, cannabis remains the drug of choice amongst narcotic users.
Data from a national survey conducted in 2017 showed that at least one per cent of the country’s population aged between 15-65 years are current users of cannabis.
Cannabis has also permeated our institutions of learning with current data showing that 7.5 per cent of high school students have ever used cannabis and 1.2 per cent amongst primary school pupils.
Similarly, another survey conducted in 2019 to assess emerging trends in the abuse of drugs and substances of abuse showed overwhelming evidence of the abuse of cannabis in the form of cookies, candies and other forms of confectioneries.
Further, reports on the increasing rate of illicit trafficking of cannabis and the resultant high number of seizures and arrests are of great concern.
Kenya in 2021 rejected the WHO’s recommendations on the use of cannabis in recognition of its abuse and potential health risks posed.