Two suspected cannabis traffickers escaped into a bush in Kwa Vonza after abandoning their motorcycle and suspected narcotics during a police pursuit on Thursday afternoon.
According to authorities, the suspects had reportedly been under surveillance for several days before officers from the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA), working alongside anti-narcotics officers and the Kwa Vonza Divisional Criminal Investigation Office, moved in to intercept them.
Investigators said the duo had been tracked from Kitui while travelling toward Machakos on a motorcycle.
At around 3 pm, officers stationed at a police barrier along the route reportedly signalled the riders to stop for inspection, but the suspects allegedly ignored the order and sped away, triggering a chase.
Police said the suspects later abandoned the motorcycle together with the suspected cannabis before fleeing on foot into nearby bushes as officers closed in.
The recovered motorcycle and seized narcotics were initially taken to Kwa Vonza Police Station before being transferred to Kitui Police Station for documentation and further investigations.
Authorities have since launched a manhunt for the suspects.
Speaking after the operation, Anthony Omerikwa said investigators suspect the traffickers may have been targeting students in the area surrounding South Eastern Kenya University.
Police said investigations into the narcotics trafficking network are ongoing.
