The Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) detectives on Monday seized heroin worth Ksh14.5 million and arrested a suspect in Malindi who was found in possession of the illegal substances.
The arrest came after the officers acted on an intelligence tip the detectives received, before bursting the suspect in Ngerenya Kilifi County.
The recovered heroin weighed approximately 3.6 kgs and had an estimated street value of Ksh 14.5 million.
‘’NPS Officers from DCI Anti-Narcotics Unit Malindi together with a team from Sabaki Bridge acting on an intelligence-led operation in Ngerenya Location, Kilifi County recovered substance suspected to be Heroin weighing approximately 3.6 Kgs with an estimated market value of Ksh. 14,540,000/= from the house of the suspect, who was also arrested during the raid,’’ the police shared in a statement.
‘’The trafficker was caught red-handed following a tip-off about his involvement in the shadowy world of narcotics. Acting on this intelligence, officers swooped down on his hideout in Ngerenya, Kilifi County,’’ it added.
According to the report shared by the police, the narcotics discovered in 38 packages were buried under a hidden treasure to wade off suspicion.
Also recovered were Kenyan currency in notes that the suspect is reported to have obtained from the sale of the drugs.
‘’A thorough search of one of his bedrooms yielded 38 packages of heroin weighing 3.635 kilograms, hidden away like buried treasure. Additionally, Ksh13,000, believed to be ill-gotten gains from his nefarious activities, was also recovered,’’ the detectives added.
The suspect is currently being held at Malindi Police Station and is expected to be arraigned in court once the police complete their investigations.
Cases of drug trafficking have been a thorny issue for authorities within the coastal region, with agencies such as the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) targeting campaigns to eliminate the act.
However, the efforts are yet to fully pay off with many youths still reported to be engaging in criminal activities from the drugs motivation.
