The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) detectives intercepted a Toyota Prado in Kisii County on Sunday, October 15, 2023, carrying drugs valued at Ksh11 million.
According to a statement released by the agency, the suspect driving the vehicle was en route to Kilgoris, Kisii County when the patrolling officers instructed him to stop.
The statement mentioned, “During the operation, the patrolling officers noticed a white Toyota Prado loaded with a suspicious cargo.”
The driver, however, disregarded the orders and attempted to evade arrest. Upon reaching the Magena area, the driver made a hasty U-turn back towards Kanyenye.
Realizing that he was being pursued, the driver abandoned the vehicle in the Metembe area and escaped on foot, as disclosed by the DCI.
The officers took possession of the vehicle and uncovered drugs valued at Ksh11 million, which weighed approximately 379 kilograms.
The DCI reported, “Six sacks and fifteen bales of leaves suspected to be cannabis sativa, totaling 379 kilograms, were confiscated.”
The Toyota Prado was transported to the Kenyenye Police Station, and the drugs were placed in police custody for further investigation.
This event occurred in the context of ongoing efforts by various law enforcement agencies to combat drug trafficking.
In a related incident, on the same Sunday, a woman was arrested in Mombasa for attempting to smuggle narcotics worth Ksh3.5 million. The arrest was made by the DCI based on information provided by the public.
According to reports from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), there has been a rise in the number of reported drug trafficking cases along the Kenyan coast over recent years.