A suspected drug trafficker mysteriously vanished during an inspection at a booking office in Siaya County.
The smuggler’s sudden disappearance came just moments before police uncovered a large stash of cannabis sativa concealed in a package he was attempting to ship to Mombasa.
The brazen escape and subsequent seizure have sparked a full-scale investigation into the growing sophistication of drug trafficking operations in the region.
According to a statement released by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the trafficker had arrived at a local booking office in Siaya with what appeared to be a harmless nylon sack.
The package was meant to be shipped as cargo to the coastal city of Mombasa, a hub that has increasingly become a hot spot for the movement of illicit drugs.
The situation took an unexpected turn when the suspicious behaviour of the trafficker caught the attention of the booking office attendant.
As the package was being prepared for shipment, the trafficker made a hasty and unnoticed exit.
“The trafficker vanished into thin air, setting off alarm bells for the vigilant attendant,” the DCI’s statement read.
Alarmed by the abrupt disappearance, the attendant immediately notified the local police, who responded swiftly. Upon arrival, officers began a thorough inspection of the abandoned package.
What initially appeared to be a harmless sack of raw bananas quickly turned into a drug bust.
“When the sack was opened, officers were met with a layer of fresh bananas. But beneath this decoy lay the true contents – 245 long rolls of cannabis sativa, meticulously packed to avoid detection,” the DCI statement added.
The narcotics weighed in at a substantial 17.5 kilograms, a haul that represents a blow to the local drug trade.
The drugs were swiftly confiscated and transported to the Siaya Police Station for safekeeping.
Meanwhile, police immediately launched a manhunt for the fugitive smuggler, who remains at large.
It is believed that the trafficker’s disappearance may have been part of a well-coordinated plan to avoid detection, leading investigators to suspect the involvement of a larger criminal network.
