A Nigerian national who has been on the police radar was Wednesday arrested together with five other Kenyans with cocaine and heroin worth Sh10 million in Malindi.
Solomon Chidozie Okafor settled in Malindi in 2020 and used to pause as a hawker targeting tourists as his top clients.
Police deported him to Abuja, Nigeria, via an Ethiopian airline from Mombasa on Wednesday, officials said.
The operation saw five other Kenyans arrested in the Mtwapa area of Mombasa by officers drawn from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
They include Said Kombo Chiwera alongside his associates Richard Wachira and Rajab Ali Mwinyi, who distribute heroin and cocaine within Mtwapa.
Ramadhan Hamza Juma, alias Rama Mbongo, is reported to be a dealer in the Tononoka area.
The owner of the prestigious Casuarina Plaza located in Malindi and businessman Anwar Ali Omar were also among those nabbed.
Okafor is said to be a distributor of both cocaine and heroin within Malindi.
Police further detained two motor vehicles used in the illicit distribution of drugs believed to be proceeds of drug sales.
Assorted packaging and weighing materials were also recovered from the traffickers.
The suspects are being held at Kilindini police station and will be arraigned at Malindi and Mombasa law courts on Friday, police said.
The operation follows a directive from President William Ruto in April 2023 to security organs to decisively deal with the narcotics dealers in the coastal region.
A new squad has been set up for the operation and officials said they will sustain the new war on drug trafficking and consumption.
Tension is high among known drug traffickers on the coast who are now opting to seek refuge in neighboring Tanzania for fear of apprehension from the squad that is said to be precise and ruthless.
Mombasa has suffered the narcotics surge driven by voracious individuals keen on making money while wreaking havoc on hundreds of families.
