Twelve individuals were arrested and 121 kilograms of bhang, valued at approximately sh 1.5 million, were seized in a police operation in Athi River, Machakos County.
The suspects, consisting of ten men and two women of middle age, were apprehended at Kisumu Ndogo village, located within Athi River Township, on Tuesday afternoon at 3:50 PM.
Philis Muthoni, the police commander for Athi River South sub-county, stated that the operation followed a tip-off from members of the public who had observed drug dealing and smoking in the Kisumu Ndogo area.
Acting on this information, officers from the Athi River police station, led by the area OCS, conducted a raid and traced an illicit store approximately 3.5 kilometers from the station.
The store, which appeared to be locked, was unoccupied when the police arrived, but inside, they discovered 70 kilograms of unrolled bhang.
In a subsequent raid at another location in Kisumu Ndogo, the police arrested the twelve suspects, including peddlers and individuals found smoking bhang.
During the operation, an additional 51 kilograms of unrolled bhang was recovered.
The total amount of bhang seized from the two locations weighed 121 kilograms and had a street value of sh 1.5 million.
The arrested individuals, along with the confiscated bhang, were transported to Athi River police station, where they were detained, and the bhang was secured as evidence for future legal proceedings.
Commander Muthoni praised the public for their cooperation in reporting criminal activities and urged continued collaboration in the fight against drug trafficking and other crimes in the area.
She reassured the community that any information shared with the police would be treated confidentially, with the identities of informants protected.
She further warned those involved in illegal activities, particularly drug peddling, to cease operations in Athi River, emphasizing that law enforcement would not relent in its efforts to combat crime.
“Those involved in narcotics and other criminal activities should leave the area,” Muthoni said, reinforcing the police and public’s united stance against drug-related offenses.
