KITUI, Kenya – Security officers have uncovered a large bhang plantation hidden among food crops along the Tana River in Mwingi Central.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said the plantation was discovered in Kakongo Village, Kairungu Location, in Kiomo Kyethani Ward, following intelligence shared with security agencies.
A team comprising officers from the National Police Service (NPS) and National Government Administration Officers (NGAO) raided the area and found bhang spread across approximately three acres.
2,000kg of bhang seized
According to the DCI, the illicit crop had been interspersed with assorted food crops, allegedly in an attempt to conceal the plantation.
With assistance from members of the public, officers uprooted the plants and transported them to Mwingi Police Station.
The seized bhang was weighed at the station and recorded at approximately 2,000kg, with an estimated street value of Sh60 million, according to the DCI.
Farming equipment recovered
The operation also led to the recovery of equipment believed to have been used to cultivate and maintain the plantation.
Among the items seized were seven solar panels, six jembes, four pangas, two weighing scales, two fork jembes and two hacksaws.
Police also recovered a solar control unit, assorted solar accessories, five petrol-powered water-pump generators and 30kg of CAN fertiliser, among other items.
Suspects escape
Detectives also found personal documents suspected to belong to people involved in cultivating the bhang.
However, the suspected cultivators had fled before officers arrived, according to the DCI.
Police said the suspects appeared to have detected the impending operation and escaped, leaving behind the plantation and equipment.
NANIB detectives pursue suspects
Investigations have been launched to identify and apprehend those behind the large-scale cultivation.
Detectives from the National Anti-Narcotics Investigations Bureau (NANIB) in Mwingi Central are pursuing leads as they seek to establish the wider network linked to the plantation.
The DCI said the operation was part of efforts by security agencies to disrupt the cultivation, trafficking and distribution of narcotic drugs through intelligence-led operations.
The agency has also urged members of the public to continue sharing information that could help security agencies identify and dismantle narcotics networks.
