Gun drama was witnessed on August 5, 2023, as police officers seized 500 kilograms of bhang and arrested one suspect.
The suspect identified by police as Mr Charles Bosire was nabbed in Moyale while driving a lorry that was ferrying the bhang to Nairobi.
“Police in Moyale have seized 500Kg of bhang & arrested one suspect in a stealth operation to curtail trafficking of narcotics in the region. The operation was launched after police received intelligence information that a lorry had been spotted at a thicket at Kate in Moyale while loaded with a suspicious consignment,” a statement by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) read in part.
The officers swung into action and rushed to the location where the trailer loaded with 99 bales of the illicit drug and which is estimated to be having a street value of Sh10 million was intercepted.
In the process, two people riding on a motorbike confronted the police as they severally shot towards them.
“In self defense, the officers retaliated forcing the assailants to flee. In the melee, the suspect sustained a gunshot wound in his abdomen & was rushed to Moyale Hospital for treatment,” the DCI statement further read.
Police officers took the suspect to hospital where he is recuperating ahead of his arraignment for contravening anti-narcotic laws.
The bhang which was tied in bales has also been kept as exhibit by the police and will be produced in court once the suspect is arraigned.
According to the National Authority for the Campaign Against Drug Abuse (NACADA) the number of bhang smokers doubled in the last five years.
NACADA used various evaluation tools to assess the effectiveness of drug and substance use reduction programmes implemented in the previous five years.
An increase in the uptake of illegal drugs, especially, bhang or marijuana, also scientifically known as cannabis sativa, was witnessed.
