Two arrested as police seize Sh4.2m bhang haul in Kilifi

Two suspects arrested after detectives recovered 142 kilograms of cannabis sativa in Kilifi raid. /DCI

An anti-narcotics crackdown in Kilifi has led to the arrest of two suspected drug traffickers and the recovery of cannabis sativa valued at about Sh4.2 million.

The operation, conducted by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations Anti-Narcotics Unit in Kilifi, targeted a house in the Kisumu Ndogo area of Kilifi town following intelligence reports.

During the raid, detectives searched the premises and recovered two-and-a-half sacks of cannabis sativa wrapped in brown khaki paper and weighing 142 kilogrammes, allegedly ready for distribution.

The two suspects were arrested and escorted to Kilifi police station alongside the recovered narcotics as officers processed the case ahead of their arraignment.

Police said the seized drugs are being held as exhibits as investigations continue into a suspected trafficking network.

The arrest forms part of an ongoing nationwide crackdown on narcotics distribution by security agencies.

In a separate operation conducted the same day, police acting on a tip-off from a member of the public at Ichuga Trading Centre in Kieni East Subcounty recovered 92 rolls of cannabis sativa concealed inside a chocolate packet under the counter of a shop.

According to investigators, the shop owner later led officers to his rented house where another suspect was allegedly found preparing rolls of cannabis sativa.

A further search at the residence resulted in the recovery of 692 additional rolls of cannabis sativa, bringing the total haul in the operation to 784 rolls.

Five mobile phones suspected to have been used in conducting sale transactions and assorted rolling apparatus believed to have been used in the preparation and packaging of the narcotic substance were also recovered in the house.

The DCI reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining the crackdown on the distribution of narcotic drugs across the country and urged members of the public to continue supporting the campaign by volunteering information through the #FichuaKwaDCI initiative.

Members of the public can report anonymously through the toll-free number 0800 722 203 or via WhatsApp on 0709 570 000. “Usiogope!” the agency said.

The frequent multimillion-shilling bhang seizures and arrests point to a lucrative and expanding regional trafficking networks utilising sophisticated logistics and concealment methods in an attempt to evade highway roadblocks.

The large quantities and high street value busts, often smuggled through Kenya's porous borders neighboring countries like Uganda and Tanzania, show a growing domestic market that is driving the massive supply chains.