The war on narcotics scored a major milestone on Friday after detectives seized 67 bales of bhang and arrested two traffickers at Kimbimbi area of Mwea in Kirinyaga County.
The arrest was made by DCI's Operations Support detectives following an intelligence-led pursuit of two vehicles from Moyale.
Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) boss Mohamed Amin said the sleuths were deployed along routes that are usually used by the suspects to evade roadblocks.
He said it followed Intel that a syndicate notorious for trafficking the hard drug from Moyale had changed tactics from transporting consignments of the drug in false lorry compartments to using less suspicious saloon cars.
Amin said the suspects were intercepted at 2pm while driving in a Nissan Primera at Kimbimbi and upon search were found with 30 bales of bhang stashed in gunny bags.
“The driver of the car who hails from Runyenjes in Embu County was arrested in the operation,” Amin said.
The top detective added that minutes later, a Toyota that was found packed with another 37 bales sped past the detectives towards Makutano junction.
He said detectives gave chase and caught up with the suspects after a hot pursuit and arrested the driver of the vehicle.
“The seizure and the suspects were escorted to Nairobi for further processing,” he said.
The arrest comes barely a month after another 132 bales of bhang that were being ferried in a truck were confiscated along the Garissa-Thika Road in Mwingi and two suspects arrested.
In the February 9, 2024, operation, 28 bales had been found stashed on the roof cabin of a lorry that was ferrying mattresses before a thorough search revealed a false bottom reinforced with strong bolts and rails where another 104 bales were discovered.
The interception and subsequent recovery also saw two male suspects arrested during the intelligence-led operation conducted by a joint operation team.
The suspects were transporting the narcotic drug in an Isuzu truck which was driven to DCI headquarters on Kiambu Road for further processing by the Anti-Narcotics detectives.
A day before the arrest, a 51-year-old woman had been arrested at Fedha Estate within Embakasi in Nairobi alongside a youthful male associate.
They were arrested after they were caught with sachets of heroin weighing 650g in their house.
Both operations were conducted by the DCI's Anti-Narcotics and Operations Support Units.
