214 rolls of bhang seized, drug peddler arrested in Lamu

Some of the 214 rolls of bhang that police confiscated during an operation in the Mangrove Terminal Jetty area of Lamu Town on November 18, 2018. PHOTO | KALUME KAZUNGU | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • County Police Commander Muchangi Kioi said the man found the bhang was arrested in the operation in the Mangrove Terminal Jetty area in Lamu Town.

  • Mr Kioi sternly warned all boat and boda-boda operators, drivers and traders in the county against transporting substances for traffickers.

Police confiscated 214 rolls of bhang, with a street value of Sh40,000, in a swoop in Lamu County on Sunday morning.

County Police Commander Muchangi Kioi said the man found with the bhang was arrested in the operation in the Mangrove Terminal Jetty area of Lamu Town.

MAJOR HEADACHE

Mr Kioi said police also took the Sh28,000 the suspect had.

“We received information from members of the public that bhang was being ferried in a vessel from Mokowe Jetty to one of the Lamu Town jetties and that it was destined for Kizingitini village in Lamu East," he said.

"My officers immediately laid an ambush and netted a box full of bhang. They arrested a male drug peddler who will be arraigned on Monday. We also confiscated the boat which was being used to ferry the bhang."

Mr Kioi said drug trafficking remains a major headache for security officers, particularly in Lamu Town, Mpeketoni and Kizingitini, so police will will not relent in the war against it.

Noting they have intensified patrols and crackdowns in all villages and drug dens across Lamu, he called for cooperation by the public.

WARNING

Mr Kioi sternly warned all boat and boda-boda operators, drivers and traders in the county against colluding with drug traffickers.

He said most of the bhang in Lamu is smuggled from other counties.

“Your days are numbered. We will ensure you are arrested and your vehicle confiscated and destroyed. Drugs have turned many youths into zombies. We want a drugs-free environment for investors."

County Criminal Investigations Commander Paul Leting said at least 30 drug peddlers have been arrested since May.

“We have intensified the war on drugs. No one in the business will be spared. More than 30 smugglers have been arraigned while others are serving jail terms,” he said.