Drug barons getting ‘real dirty’

• Number of addicts in Kenya exceeds the population of Machakos, according to UN statistics

Furthermore, the drugs are cut to make them more affordable and to hook younger addicts.

“Because heroin is expensive, these fellows never sell it in its pure form. The purity of the stuff depends on the financial capacity. The more able the buyer, the purer the stuff. And the dens are found anywhere from the posh estates to the slums,” he said.

According to a recent report by the US State Department, Kenya is developing into a major money-laundering country.

“Kenya’s use as a transit point for international drug traffickers continues to increase and the laundering of funds related to Somali piracy is a substantial problem.

‘‘Reportedly, Kenya’s financial system may be laundering over $100 million each year, including an undetermined amount of narcotics proceeds and Somali piracy-related funds,” says the US report.