In a well-coordinated operation, officers from Mtwapa Police Station in Kilifi County carried out a raid in the Mtomondoni area on July 5th, 2024, at approximately 6:30 am.

The raid was prompted by a tip-off from concerned members of the public, who had reported the presence of a suspect selling narcotic drugs, specifically bhang, within the Mtomondoni area.

Acting swiftly on the information received, the police officers proceeded to the house where the suspect was believed to be operating from.

However, upon their arrival, the suspect managed to escape the scene after spotting the officers. Undeterred, the police conducted a thorough search of the premises and made a significant discovery.

During the search, the officers recovered a total of 328 large rolls of dry plant materials that were suspected to be cannabis sativa (bhang).

The seized exhibits were immediately taken to the Mtwapa Police Station for further analysis and processing.

According to the police report, the street value of the recovered drugs was estimated to be a staggering KSh688,800.

The officers involved in the operation have vowed to continue their efforts to apprehend the suspect who managed to evade arrest during the raid.

According to recent statistics from the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA), the use of bhang among Kenyans has seen a worrying increase of 90% in recent years.

“Consumption of bhang in the last five years has gone up by 90 per cent, and based on 2022 research, nearly a million Kenyans are using cannabis sativa; that is, one in every 53 people are using this drug in the country,” NACADA Chief Executive Officer Dr. Anthony Omerikwa said on February 12, 2024.