Drama unfolded at the Kenya-Uganda border after detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) uncovered cocaine worth Ksh2 million in a bus travelling from Kampala to Nairobi, leading to the arrest of one suspect.
According to the DCI, the incident occurred at the Malaba One-Stop Border Post, where officers conducting routine passenger and luggage screening discovered an unattended parcel inside the bus.
The discovery prompted officers to conduct further checks on the parcel, which was subsequently handed over to detectives from the National Anti-Narcotics Investigations Bureau (NANIB) for examination.
However, the situation took a dramatic turn when the bus driver and conductor reportedly fled the scene, abandoning the vehicle and its passengers as officers moved to investigate the package.
A parcel containing cocaine recovered by DCI officers in Malaba.
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DCI
“Preliminary tests confirmed the substance to be cocaine, packaged in eight pellets weighing 547.99 grams, with an estimated street value of Ksh2,191,960,” the DCI stated.
To help in the investigations, the DCI officers immediately arrested the bus turn boy in connection with the suspected drug trafficking operation.
Despite the turn boy's arrest, the driver and conductor remain at large as detectives investigate how the cocaine was loaded onto the bus and establish the roles of those involved.
Following the incident, the passenger bus was detained at Malaba OSBP before its management arranged alternative transport for the affected passengers.
“The DCI, through NANIB, remains steadfast in its war against narcotics trafficking, tightening the noose on drug networks seeking to exploit transport routes and border crossings,” the detectives stated.
In a statement, the DCI officers said investigations are ongoing as they seek to establish the origin of the cocaine and the intended destination of the consignment.
The latest incident is part of a wider crackdown on drug trafficking across the country, with detectives stepping up surveillance, investigations and arrests to dismantle drug networks.
Just a day ago, DCI officers launched a multi-county crackdown on narcotics trafficking that led to the arrest of four suspects and the seizure of consignments of bhang and other illicit substances in Kisii, Kitui and Kajiado counties.
A man with handcuffs
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NMG