Man detained and bhang valued at Sh6.2 million found in his Komarock house

A man was arrested after 41 bales of bhang stashed in gunny bags were found in his Komarock house, in Nairobi.

Police have maintained that traffickers in narcotics must eschew illegal dealings and take on legitimate business ventures, or else continue suffering the heat of the unforgiving law.

This follows heightened crackdowns across the country that have seen scores rounded up and tons of hard drugs including bhang, cocaine, heroin and other club drugs seized.

In the latest operation conducted by a joint team of detectives at Komarock Phase 2 estate Monday night, 41 bales of bhang stashed in gunny bags were seized from a house belonging to Alah Mohamed Kala, who was also taken to custody as a suspect of trafficking.

The seizure weighing 205 kilos estimated at a street value of Sh6.2 million was processed and marked as an exhibit, alongside a Toyota Noah believed to be a proceed of the illegal trade.

Pursuit of Kala’s accomplices is underway as he fervently prays for a route back to liberty, police said.

Dozens of suspects have been arrested in similar operations in major urban areas and highways.

Police believe the narcotics had originated the Kenya-Ethiopia border and were headed for Nairobi.

According to police, the drug trafficking cartel has put to test the stern measures adopted by anti-narcotics hawkshaws to paralyze the illegal trade in the country.

This is the latest such recovery to be made in a series that have happened in the recent past following heightened operations.

Most of such narcotics originate from Ethiopia where they are packaged for the market in Nairobi and other major towns.

Police say the traffickers use the porous Kenya-Ethiopia border to get their illegal consignment into the country.

The border town of Moyale in northern Kenya is an entry point for large hauls of bhang widely grown in southern Ethiopia.

Once the bhang leaves Shashamane, it heads down south to the border points of Moyale, Sololo, Corolla, Uran and Dukana. Others use Mandera, Wajir, Garissa route.

The other route runs from Funannyata in Sololo, Marsabit county, to the Yamicha plains of Merti subcounty in Isiolo.

They take the consignments to Eastleigh, Majengo and Mlango Kubwa for repackaging and distribution.

Police have mounted an operation targeting the business seizing dozens of bales valued at millions of shillings.

Police and anti-drugs authorities are concerned over the increasing seizures of shashamane.

The drug, which originates in Ethiopia is becoming popular locally and has been on the market for a few years.

Officials say an increase in the use of shashamane is a major challenge in fighting substance abuse.

The drug is boiled in a pot and smoked like shisha, or rolled into joints.

Some addicts mix the drug with mustard seed oil and cannabis before rolling it in joints.

The smoke can affect people as far as four metres away.

Traffickers often conceal it in sacks of rice and sugar.