The Moi International Airport Anti-narcotics officers based in Mombasa Wednesday recovered 300 grams of heroin from the house of a 24-year-old Technical University of Mombasa student.
The detectives were acting on an intelligence report, which also led to the arrest of the student at his Mshomoroni house, Kisauni sub-county.
Found wrapped in a clear polythene bag, the brownish/whitish drug which has an estimated street value of Sh1.2 million was tested on site, turning positive for heroin, police said.
The exhibit was secured pending further sampling at the government chemist, as the suspect awaits arraignment Thursday.
Cases of drug trafficking, possession and consumption in Mombasa have been on the rise despite operations to tame them.
Dozens of traffickers have since been arrested and charged in the operation.
Police say traffickers now use roads as opposed to airports to carry out their business.
The most commonly trafficked narcotics from Tanzania and through Uganda is heroin. Cocaine is also trafficked from the two countries.
This comes in the the backdrop of a recent National drug survey by National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) indicating widespread abuse of prescription medication.
DCI conducted operations where traditional dealers in hard drug were arrested while in possession of assorted prescription pills pointing to a shortage of heroin.
The report indicates that, subscription for harm reduction clinics where methadone maintenance treatment is used to treat opioid dependence has increased especially at the costal city of Mombasa.
The opioid dependent takes a daily dose of methadone as a liquid or pill which reduces withdrawal symptoms and cravings for opioids.
In the report, the medications commonly abused were identified as codeine, dextromethorphan, noscapine, morphine, caffeine, ketamine and papaverine.
The government is now looking at measures to curb the proliferation and availability of the medications in the market.
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