NACADA arrests five suspects, seizes bhang worth Sh2m in Kisii Raid

In a major crackdown on narcotics trafficking, the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) has arrested five suspects in Kisii Town.

In the operation backed by a specialised police unit on Friday morning, they seized cannabis worth Sh2 million.

NACADA said the planned raid targeted multiple hideouts linked to a well-established narcotics syndicate, leading to the recovery of a significant stash of cannabis sativa (bhang) as well as counterfeit alcohol from a wines and spirits outlet operated by the suspect.

NACADA CEO Anthony Omerikwa said the prime suspect is a repeat offender with an ongoing drug trafficking case in Kisii Law Courts.

He managed to evade arrest but remains a marked man.

"This individual is a notorious trafficker who has defiantly returned to his illicit trade even after our previous raid and court case," Omerikwa said. 

"Let this be a warning to all drug dealers. NACADA will not relent. We are pursuing the suspect and his entire network with every resource at our disposal. No stone will be left unturned until this poison is eradicated from our communities."

Sales records retrieved from his residence confirmed that just hours before the raid, he had supplied peddlers with bhang worth over Sh1 million.

His wife, who is among those arrested, is currently detained at Nyanchwa Police Station as authorities tighten the noose around the syndicate.

In another discovery, officers confiscated counterfeit alcoholic beverages from the suspect’s liquor outlet.

"Our intelligence and enforcement teams are closing in. He will be apprehended, and his entire network will face the full wrath of the law," Omerikwa said.

He said the five arrested suspects will be charged under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act, as NACADA continues dismantling the supply chain.

NACADA stated that in collaboration with security agencies, it is escalating its war on narcotics. 

"We urge the public to report any suspicious activities. Together, we will reclaim our streets from these merchants of destruction," Omerikwa said.

Investigations remain ongoing, with more arrests expected as authorities analyse seized evidence.