What appeared to be an ordinary consignment of bananas turned out to be a clever cover for a large haul of cannabis sativa after detectives from the Anti-Narcotics Unit (ANU), Coast Region, intercepted a long-distance passenger bus transporting the illicit cargo from Busia to Mombasa.
The intelligence-led operation was conducted jointly by ANU detectives and officers from Mariakani Police Station after they received actionable intelligence about the suspected drug shipment.
Acting on the tip-off, the officers mounted a targeted operation at the Mariakani Weighbridge, where they flagged down a Tahmeed bus for a thorough search.
The search uncovered five gunny bags containing cannabis sativa that had been carefully concealed beneath sacks of bananas in an apparent attempt to evade detection.
Investigations established that the consignment belonged to 45-year-old passenger Evelyn Atieno Ochola, who was immediately arrested at the scene.
She is currently in police custody undergoing processing ahead of her arraignment in court, while the recovered narcotics have been detained as exhibits.
Detectives are continuing with investigations to establish the source and intended destination of the drugs, as well as whether other suspects were involved in the trafficking network.
