A multi-agency security team has dealt a major blow to an international drug trafficking syndicate after recovering narcotics worth an estimated KSh3.6 billion in Msambweni, Kwale County.
Four suspects were arrested during the intelligence-led operation, which also saw security officers seize two motor vehicles and a motorcycle believed to be linked to the suspected drug trafficking network.
According to the National Police Service (NPS), the breakthrough followed intelligence reports that led to the arrest of a key suspect in Tanzania on November 5, 2026, while allegedly in possession of suspected narcotics.
Following the arrest, Kenyan police officers responded at the Lungalunga-Horohoro border point, where Tanzanian authorities formally handed over the suspect to their Kenyan counterparts.
Investigations and interrogation of the suspect led detectives to Shirazi Village in Kingwede Shirazi Location, Msambweni, where they traced the residential premises of a second suspected accomplice.
However, the operation did not end there.
Further tracking and interrogation directed the multi-agency team to Ganja La Simba Village in Kinondo Location, Msambweni Sub-County, where officers conducted an extensive search.
It was at the second location that the officers made a major discovery, recovering packages of suspected narcotics weighing 454 kilogrammes, with an estimated street value of KSh3.6 billion.
Additional suspects were arrested during the operation, bringing the total number of people in custody to four.
The recovered narcotics, two motor vehicles and a motorcycle have been secured as exhibits as investigations continue.
The NPS said the operation was conducted under the strategic direction of Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja and involved collaboration between Kenyan and Tanzanian security agencies.
The four suspects remain in lawful custody as the multi-agency team pursues further investigations into the suspected international drug trafficking network.
The police have vowed to sustain the crackdown on organised criminal networks, warning that Kenya will not be allowed to become a destination or transit hub for illicit drugs.
The operation is still ongoing, with the NPS promising further updates as investigations progress.
Members of the public have also been urged to share timely information with security agencies to help combat drug trafficking and other organised crimes.
