Hunt on for suspect as police seize 17.5kg bhang in Siaya

 

The bhang that was seized in Siaya

DCI detectives are on the prowl for a suspect who vanished after a botched attempt to transport 17.5kg of bhang from Siaya to Mombasa.

DCI Director Mohamed Amin says the suspect wanted to ship the consignment via a courier service but developed cold feet after the agent started inspecting the suspicious package concealed in a nylon sack.

“The trafficker's plan seemed foolproof. However, as the package was being inspected at the booking office, the trafficker vanished into thin air, setting off alarm bells for the vigilant attendant. Sensing something fishy, the attendant alerted the police, and a swift response was mounted,” Amin said in a statement on Sunday.

He said upon arrival, the officers opened the sack and found a lawyer of raw bananas.

But beneath the bananas lay 245 long rolls of cannabis sativa, weighing 17.5 kilograms.

“The seized narcotics were swiftly taken to the safe confines of Siaya police station, as relentless pursuit for the elusive trafficker is currently underway,” the DCI boss said.

The seizure comes just five days after two other suspects were arrested in Busia in possession of bhang worth Sh320,000.

The suspects, who included a 17-year-old minor, were arrested at a roadblock along Nambale-Busia road.

They were travelling in a Toyota Hiace matatu when they were flagged down by officers at the roadblock.

“Upon inspecting their bags, officers seized five bales of marijuana, weighing 44 kilos,” Amin said in a statement.

Meanwhile, detectives drawn from the Anti-Narcotics Unit (ANU) domiciled at the DCI headquarters on KIambu road mounted an operation that led to the arrest of two drug traffickers in Donholm.

Amin said one of the suspects is Kenyan while the other is a Tanzanian national.

He said investigations revealed that the Tanzanian suspect came to Kenya as a specialist skilled in packaging and disguising illicit drugs in backpacks for distribution to consumers worldwide.

“Following their capture, the suspects guided detectives to their abode in Manyanzani area in Tala Kangundo subcounty. During a thorough search of their house, authorities unearthed a backpack with a cunningly concealed compartment housing cannabis sativa, alongside a digital scale and various incriminating documents,” Amin said in a statement.

He said further investigations established that the narcotics are a unique species of cannabis sativa that originated from a foreign country and sneaked into the country via the Namanga border.

“According to intelligence reports, the street value of one gram of this particular cannabis sativa is Sh8,000.”

Amin, however, said that further analysis will be conducted to unravel the distinctiveness of the drug from those found locally.

The suspects are expected in court once investigations are completed.

by EMMANUEL WANJALA