Security teams intercepted a significant haul of more than 400 kilograms of bhang, estimated to be valued at Sh10 million, along the Mwingi-Garissa highway.
In an operation conducted on Thursday afternoon, two suspects were apprehended while transporting the illicit drugs in a lorry loaded with cows destined for Nairobi. Police discovered the narcotics concealed within a false compartment in the vehicle.
According to authorities, the intended destination for the bhang was the Kiamaiko area in Huruma, known as Nairobi’s primary hub for cannabis storage and distribution.
Samuel Laboso, head of the Anti Narcotics Unit, emphasized the intensified crackdown on drug traffickers who exploit illicit substances to the detriment of the nation.
Moyale town, a prominent trading center, has gained notoriety as the epicenter of contraband activities, including the smuggling of Kenya’s favored variety of bhang. Other border points utilized by traffickers for smuggling operations include Sololo, Uran, Forolle, and Dukana.
Traffickers employ various methods to sneak bhang into Kenya, utilizing unofficial or unpatrolled routes, particularly under the cover of night. Peddlers, light vehicles, boda-bodas, donkey carts, and couriers are commonly used to transport the contraband across the border undetected.
From these border centers, the bhang is transported to Nairobi via two main routes: the direct Moyale-Nairobi highway through Marsabit town and Isiolo, and an unofficial route, a cutline from Funannyata in Sololo to the Yamicha plains of Merti sub-county in Isiolo.
Law enforcement agencies have intensified efforts to curb this illicit trade, focusing on disrupting trafficking routes and dismantling criminal networks involved in drug trafficking across the country.