Police officers have nabbed about 26 sacks stuffed with bhang worth Ksh6 million in a raid conducted at a church in Ongata Rongai, Kajiado County.
According to a lead detective who spoke with the media on Tuesday, the police conducted the operation after being tipped off by concerned members of the public.
Several suspects were arrested at the church, with police tracing the bhang hidden in different parts of the premises. The number of suspects arrested was yet to be disclosed by the time of publishing this article.
"Strangely, we have learnt that this church is selling bhang to its congregants. We have captured a number of suspects, but the major culprits are on the run," police stated, adding that they had launched a manhunt for the pastors, staff and congregants.
"One gunny bag has stones. I hear the jargon the church members use for bhang is 'stones'. You can thus imagine the weight of the bhang we have seized," the detective added.
Police further suspected that the congregants were drug addicts disguised as the flock.
Moreover, the church was accused of selling stolen equipment, such as furniture and electronics. Suspects who were arrested at the premise were alleged to have been caught slaughtering a goat to celebrate a well-coordinated night operation where they raided homes and stool property.
"We know that these suspects work in cahoots with residents, but we applaud concerned members of the public who raised the alarm. We will liaise with them to track the church attendees who are well-known in the society," the detective added.
Police documented the bhang as an exhibit that will be presented in court during the arraignment of the suspects. Detectives will also ask the court to deny the suspects bail and be guided on how to destroy the illegal drugs.
In another related incident, police are still tracking occupants of a black Land Cruiser Prado TX, which was found ferrying bhang worth Ksh9.5 million in Kajiado.
The incident occurred on September 8, when the car was involved in an accident. The occupants fled the scene before police arrived, leaving the car behind.
In a statement, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) disclosed that the Prado was travelling at a high speed before it veered off the road and ended up in a ditch along the Kaloleni-Mavueni Road.
