Police in Machakos are investigating an incident where a man
was arrested in possession of Sh6.9 million bhang on Monday night.
Machakos County Commissioner Josephine Ouko said the man was nabbed after police officers intercepted a motor- vehicle he was driving within Machakos Township at around midnight.
Ouko said the officers also recovered six registration number plates belonging to different motor vehicles during the arrest.
The motor vehicle was impounded at Machakos police station.
“Yesterday at midnight, our officers on patrol were able to intercept this vehicle you are seeing here carrying two sacks of cannabis sativa (bhang) weighing 200 with a street value of about Sh6.9million. According to the driver, he was ferrying the consignment from Migori to Kitui County, claims we can’t authenticate,” Ouko said.
Accompanied by Machakos County police commander Patrick Lobolia, she addressed the press at the latter’s office compound on Tuesday.
“The suspect was driving the Toyota Wish that had six number plates he used to disguise himself. He could be involved in a car theft syndicate. We don’t know which of the number plates belongs to this motor vehicle,” Ouko said.
The administrator called on Kenyans who had lost their motor vehicles across the country to report to the county police commander, Machakos.
Ouko told Kenyans in the car hire business to be more
vigilant while hiring out their motor vehicles to avoid their vehicles being let
by criminals to either transport outlawed goods or commit other forms of crime.
“They should know the people who they are hiring their vehicles, take proper records and install trackers for easy monitoring. Those whose vehicles are hired and used to commit crime risk forfeiting them to the government,” she said.
She said, as Machakos County Security, they had suppressed drug dealers in the region.
“Now, they have resorted to importing them from other counties and countries. Youths, avoid easy money. The bhang was meant for the Machakos market. The driver said he had six sacks of bhang from Migori while our officers recovered only two after intercepting the motor vehicle,” Ouko said.
Ouko told all traffic police officers across the country to be vigilant so as to detect, impound and suppress such outlawed drugs and substances among other illegal goods from being transported from one area or county to another.
She said the suspect’s fingerprints had been taken, impounded motor vehicle, and number plates and the recovered bhang was safely kept as exhibits, suspect was locked up in police cells as DCI investigated the incident. He will be arraigned in court once the investigations are complete.
“We warn all involved in the illicit trade that we are coming for you. We will put dogs on our highways,” she said.
Several earlier confiscated slot betting machines were also set ablaze shortly after the presser.
She warned those trading in the illegal gambling machines asserting that no such trade should be tolerated in the county.
Ouko also declared war against the illicit second-generation liquor in the county.
“Machakos is a No Go Zone. No smoking bhang in Machakos. I
equally put those involved in outlawed second-generation liquor on notice. My strength
comes from the public, we have closed everywhere. The public has my phone
number,” she said.