MOMBASA, Kenya — Detectives have arrested two suspected drug peddlers and seized heroin valued at more than Sh4 million in a targeted anti-narcotics operation in Utange, Kisauni Sub-County, as authorities intensify efforts to dismantle drug trafficking networks along the Coast.
The suspects, identified as Tawaida Ali Said and Shamim Abubakar, were arrested during a coordinated raid conducted by officers from the Anti-Narcotics Unit (ANU), the Transnational Organised Crime Unit (TOCU), and Kiembeni Police Station.
According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the operation was intelligence-led and focused on a residential house in the Barawa area, concealed behind a high perimeter wall and believed to be used as a storage and distribution point for narcotics.
“Acting on solid intelligence, the multi-agency team stormed the premises and conducted a thorough search,” the DCI said in a statement.
Inside the house, detectives recovered several neatly packaged sachets of heroin hidden in two bedrooms. Officers later expanded the search to the compound, where they uncovered an additional package of heroin buried in a hole in one corner of the property, an apparent attempt to conceal the drugs and evade detection.
By the end of the operation, officers had seized 1,346 grams of heroin with an estimated street value of Sh4,092,000. Police also recovered a digital weighing machine and a drying machine, items investigators say point to an organized and ongoing illicit drug trade rather than personal use.
The two suspects are currently being held in police custody as detectives finalize investigations ahead of their arraignment in court. Authorities indicated that additional suspects or supply networks could be pursued based on forensic and intelligence findings from the seizure.
Under Kenyan law, trafficking in narcotic drugs is a serious offence punishable by lengthy prison terms and heavy fines under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act. Courts have also increasingly ordered the forfeiture of assets linked to drug trafficking as part of broader efforts to cripple criminal enterprises.
The DCI said sustained intelligence-led operations and inter-agency collaboration remain central to the government’s anti-narcotics strategy.
“Through coordinated action, we remain committed to dismantling trafficking networks and keeping dangerous drugs off Kenyan streets,” the agency said.
Police urged members of the public to continue sharing information on suspected drug activities, noting that community cooperation plays a vital role in successful enforcement operations.
As investigations continue, authorities say the Utange seizure sends a clear signal that law enforcement remains vigilant against narcotics trafficking, particularly in urban and coastal hotspots.
