@ppcheti
Kenya Navy soldiers on Tuesday intercepted two boats smuggling miraa worth Sh25 million through Lamu into Somalia.
The officers were on patrol on the Indian Ocean when they spotted two vessels at Barakuda area. They arrested the occupants and took control of the boats and the consignment.
The sacks of miraa were handed over to the Kenya Coast Guards who destroyed them at Manda Island's Ras Kitau beach.
On April 1, county commissioner Irungu Macharia suspended the sale of miraa and muguka in Lamu to curb the spread of coronavirus.
“We are grateful for the hawk-eyed efforts of our Kenya Navy soldiers who were able to stop such a huge consignment from crossing our borders into Somalia,” Macharia said.
Respect for the law is paramount, he said.
“Coronavirus is not a joke and so I don’t understand why people can’t do as they are told so we can all stay safe and alive,” Macharia said.
On April 3, police manning roadblocks along the Lamu-Garsen road intercepted several vehicles and trucks ferrying the stimulant. They burned the sackfuls of miraa as the public watched.
Macharia said they are concerned that miraa trade poses a serious threat in the transmission and spread of the coronavirus.
He said that miraa traders encourage crowding whenever the product is delivered by dealers.
Members of the public have supported the move and urged the police to do everything to ensure Lamu stays free of the coronavirus.
“The miraa business is a reckless one and can easily transmit this deadly virus. We support the police to do everything to implement the ban,” Lamu elder Abdullah Shibu said.
(edited by o. owino)