A multi-agency operation led by the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) has dismantled a drug trafficking network targeting university students in Maseno, Kisumu County.
Acting on credible intelligence, the enforcement team comprising NACADA officers, the Anti-Narcotics Unit (ANU), and the National Police Service (NPS) carried out a midday raid in the Maseno area, leading to the recovery of narcotics and other illicit substances valued at Sh800,000.
During the operation, officers seized two basins full of bhang, 55 packets of export cigarettes, 20 litres of chang’aa, and several Rizlers, all believed to be part of an organised distribution network supplying drugs to students in learning institutions.
One suspect was arrested at the scene, while another escaped and is being pursued by law enforcement officers.
Investigations have revealed that part of the consignment had already been dispatched to Manyatta in Kisumu and another outlet within Maseno town to supply students in and around the university.
Authorities believe the operation is part of a wider crackdown aimed at intercepting drug cartels that exploit young people in institutions of higher learning.
NACADA Chief Executive Officer Dr. Anthony Omerikwa, who spoke after the operation, reaffirmed the Authority’s commitment to the ongoing 100-Day Rapid Results Initiative (RRI) against drug and substance abuse, launched under the directive of Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen.
“This operation underscores our resolve to dismantle criminal drug networks that prey on the youth. The Rapid Results Initiative remains in force, and NACADA will continue coordinating multi-agency efforts to ensure our communities and learning institutions are free from drugs,” said Omerikwa.
He added that NACADA will continue using intelligence-led enforcement while strengthening partnerships with local communities, universities, and security agencies to curb the spread of narcotics in academic environments.
The Maseno raid adds to a growing list of nationwide enforcement operations being conducted under the RRI framework, aimed at restoring public safety and protecting the country’s young population from drug addiction.
