Detectives from the Transnational Organized Crime Unit (TOCU) have arrested a suspect and recovered heroin valued at about Sh1 million following an intelligence-led operation targeting drug trafficking along the Mombasa–Nairobi Highway.
The operation resulted in the arrest of 38-year-old Brian Tabu Owuor after officers allegedly found four sachets of heroin weighing a total of 300 grammes hidden inside his luggage. Police also recovered Sh95,000 believed to be proceeds of crime.
According to investigators, the operation was launched after detectives received intelligence reports and mounted surveillance at Taru, a strategic transit point linking the Coast region to Nairobi and other parts of the country.
Officers later intercepted a Nairobi-bound bus and conducted what initially appeared to be a routine passenger screening exercise. The exercise, however, took a different turn after detectives focused on one of the passengers on board.
"Seated at Seat No. 29, the suspect was found in possession of a brown bag that concealed far more than personal belongings," investigators said.
Police said a search of the bag led to the recovery of the suspected narcotics and cash.
"Inside were four sachets of heroin weighing a total of 300 grammes, along with Sh95,000 in cash believed to be proceeds of crime," the statement read.
The recovered heroin is estimated to have a street value of approximately Sh1 million.
Owuor was immediately arrested and taken into custody, where he remains as detectives continue with investigations ahead of his arraignment in court.
Authorities have secured both the narcotics and the cash as exhibits while pursuing further inquiries to establish whether the suspect is linked to a wider drug trafficking network.
The seizure adds to ongoing efforts by security agencies to curb narcotics trafficking and dismantle organised criminal groups operating within the country.
Police have also urged members of the public to continue sharing information that may help investigators disrupt illegal drug networks through anonymous reporting channels under the #FichuaKwaDCI initiative.