Bhang worth Sh32m nabbed along Moyale - Nairobi highway

 

Sh32.9 million worth of bhang were on Saturday nabbed along the Moyale - Nairobi highway.

DCI’s Anti- Narcotics boss Janet Shako said the 269 bags were recovered stashed inside two lorries during an operation by officers from the DCI alongside others from a multi-agency. 

139 bags containing bhang worth Sh20.9 million street value was recovered from the first lorry while the second one had 122 bags worth Sh12 million. 

Each bag according to the DCI weighed 40 kilograms and were being transported from Moyale to Nairobi. It's suspected that the consignment was from Ethiopia. Five people including four men and a woman were arrested during the operations.

Shako said their investigations had revealed that the proceeds of the sale of drugs have a direct link to the funding of terror activities in the region. 

Shako, however, noted that the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, working with other multi-agency players has heightened the war on the transportation of illicit drugs across the country.

She said drugs worth millions of shillings had been recovered while being transported to various destinations over the last month.

“The individuals arrested transporting the drugs have been arraigned,” Shako told the press in Nairobi on Saturday.

The sleuth disclosed that the Isiolo – Moyale route had become a major transportation route, “But, our hawk-eyed agencies have put up measures in place that have led to the interception of bhang worth millions of shillings in the last one month.”

Shako said it was worth noting that the individuals who had been undertaking illegal activities have been using various methods of concealment.

She said they included the usage of water boozers, fuel tankers, stuffing of drugs in fuel tankers, dashboards, spare wheels, and most recently creating additional compartment in lorries and other vehicles where drugs are stashed.

“Investigations have revealed that the proceeds of this business have direct links with funding terror activities in the region. Previously, piracy used to be a major source of funding for terror groups and since it was dismantled, they turned into drug trafficking to fund their activities,” Shako said.

Shako added, “The DCI working with other multi-agency players wish to retaliate our commitment towards the fight of these drugs and ensure that our country remains drugs free.”

The government in November 2019 destroyed 100 kilograms of Cocaine seized when British aristocrat Jack Marrian and a Kenyan Roy Francis Mwanthi were arrested and charged in July 2016.

The two were, however, acquitted in January this year when the Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji applied to have the case withdrawn. No reason was given, with his prosecutors only indicating that they were not ready to proceed with the matter.

The cocaine, with a street value of Sh598 million, was destroyed Wednesday, at an incinerator within the Directorate of Criminal Investigations Headquarters in Nairobi, in an exercise witnessed by Justice Luka Kimaru, who had been hearing the case before the withdrawn.

Marrian, who is a large-scale sugar trader, had been living in Kenya for a long time until his arrest when a container with cocaine was seized at Mombasa port.

Both Marianne and his co-accused denied charges against them.

“If there is anyone who doubted our resolve to fight the trade of illicit drugs, today you have the answer,” said Fred Matiangi, Interior Ministry’s Cabinet Secretary who led security forces in the destruction exercise,

He added, “We are determined to fight the drug menace in our country decisively and conclusively.”