The National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) has intensified its nationwide crackdown on illicit drugs, following successful multi-agency operations in Homa Bay and Kisii counties.
In a coordinated intelligence-led raid in Oyugis, Homabay County, officers from NACADA, the Anti-Narcotics Unit (ANU) and the Administration Police Service (APS) arrested two individuals in possession of suspected narcotics and contraband goods.
Authorities seized 400 packets of uncustomed cigarettes, 14 packets of a popular cigarette brand and cash in various denominations, believed to be proceeds from the illicit trade.
One of the suspects was also found with what is suspected to be cannabis sativa.
"The contraband cigarettes are believed to have been smuggled into the country without customs clearance, in violation of revenue and trade regulations," NACADA stated.
The two suspects are currently detained at Oyugis Police Station as investigations continue.
Meanwhile, in Kisii County, a separate operation led by NACADA in collaboration with the National Police Service (NPS), the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and ANU Nyanza Region, uncovered what authorities described as a suspected drug storage and processing site.
The raid, conducted at a rental residence in Nyakongo Village, Kitutu Central Subcounty, led to the seizure of 134 brooms suspected to be laced with narcotic substances, along with two 90-kilogramme sacks of dried plant material believed to be cannabis sativa.
Eight suspects were apprehended during the Kisii operation and are currently in police custody awaiting legal proceedings.
These operations come just a month after the dismantling of a major drug distribution network in Kisii County, linked to a well-known drug baron.
NACADA says the latest arrests underscore the agency’s “strategic momentum” in breaking up drug syndicates and safeguarding communities from substance abuse.
“NACADA continues to champion a multi-agency approach to narcotics control, collaborating closely with law enforcement and intelligence partners to protect communities from the harmful grip of drugs,” the Authority noted.
The agency is urging members of the public to remain vigilant and report any drug-related activities anonymously through its toll-free hotline 1192.
