Detectives have arrested a 45-year-old woman after intercepting a passenger bus transporting cannabis sativa concealed beneath sacks of bananas in Mariakani, Kilifi County.
The operation was conducted by officers from the Anti-Narcotics Unit (ANU) in the Coast Region, working jointly with officers from Mariakani Police Station.
According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the officers acted on intelligence that led them to the Mariakani Weighbridge, where they stopped a passenger bus travelling from Busia to Mombasa for inspection.
During the search, detectives uncovered five gunny bags containing cannabis sativa that had allegedly been hidden beneath a consignment of bananas in an apparent attempt to evade detection.
Police arrested the owner of the consignment at the scene and is currently undergoing police processing ahead of her arraignment in court.
The recovered cannabis has been seized and is being held as an exhibit as investigations continue.
The arrest comes just two days after police arrested two suspected drug traffickers and a consignment of cannabis sativa recovered following an intelligence-led operation in Mariakani, Kilifi County.
In a statement issued on Friday, the DCI said officers from Mariakani police station intercepted a motorcycle allegedly transporting the narcotics in the Njoro area of Mariakani Township during a coordinated operation.
According to the agency, officers recovered a total of 84 large rolls of cannabis sativa from the two suspects before taking them into custody.
The DCI said the suspects are being processed pending arraignment, while the recovered narcotics and the motorcycle used to transport them have been detained as exhibits.
"The National Police Service remains unwavering in its fight against drug trafficking and urges members of the public to continue sharing information that will help dismantle criminal networks and keep our communities safe," the agency said.
It came barely a month after detectives carried out another series of anti-narcotics operations in Mombasa, Kitengela and Busia that resulted in the arrest of five suspects and the recovery of large quantities of cannabis sativa.
During those intelligence-led operations, the DCI said detectives intercepted a lorry suspected of transporting narcotics along a major transport corridor in the Coast region.
The agency reported recovering nine sacks of cannabis sativa weighing about 450kg, with an estimated street value of Sh12.15 million, and arrested two suspects.
