dramatic seizure of the heroin haul valued at Sh500 million and arrest of suspects at an apartment in Shanzu area,

14:34 heroin had originated Afghanistan and was to be repackaged in the house before being redistributed. 0 Comments

dramatic seizure of the heroin haul valued at Sh500 million and arrest of suspects at an apartment in Shanzu area, Mombasa came as a result of a two-week wait by police who had been tipped the 196 kilogrammes narcotics were on the high seas.

The arrival of the suspects in Nairobi’s Wilson Airport yesterday by police helicopter was also dramatic as a vehicle full of heavily armed General Service Unit sped to the runway before the officers from the elite unit took strategic positions on the runway.

Police revealed the traffickers had arrived with the narcotics on the high seas of Mtwapa area in Mombasa and were waiting for the ground to clear.

The officers who conducted the sting operation trailed two vehicles to a jetty in Shanzu area on Thursday at around 8 pm. The team that was laying in wait had been dispatched from Nairobi two weeks ago.

The Commissioner of Police Matthew Iteere said the traffickers were using a GPRS phone to communicate with their contacts on the high seas for direction before they could deliver their cargo.

And come Thursday night, the narcotics that had been packaged and labeled as dog food were removed from a speedboat and loaded onto two cars before they headed to an apartment in Shanzu.

Drugs camouflaged

The drug was camouflaged as dog food under the brand name Science Plan: Veterinary formulated Canine Senior for older dogs, New improved taste. The drug was concealed in nylon papers.

The consignment was found in a secluded apartment on the third row lane from the pristine beach in the North Coast. It was labeled Canine food for senior dogs.

The well-packaged wrappings clearly branded would easily pass for ordinary dog food.

"It was a long wait that has borne fruits and we hope to get to the bottom of this issue and arrest and prosecute the real owners," said Iteere.

Police recovered pistols

Police also recovered two cars — a Nissan saloon car and a Toyota Rav4, two pistols that had 59 bullets and a GPRS phone. Other tenants at the apartments were shocked to learn that such a huge haul had been recovered in the compound.

A tenant, who did not want to be identified, said she had never seen any of the suspects.

One of the suspects identified as Joash Omondi had according to Iteere rented the posh apartment two days before the arrival of the "dog food" (drug). Omondi introduced his other accomplices as investors who wanted to rent the house, the police boss said.

Iteere said police know the owner of the apartment and they are trying to establish if he has any link to the narcotics. He termed as speculation, reports that the house belongs to a Nairobi political activist.

"You can see the kind of investors they are for now," said Iteere

The six suspects linked to the heroin were flown to Nairobi amid tight security by paramilitary police. They were paraded before the media where some of them confessed they had been to the city on several occasions.

Apart from Omondi the other Kenyans were Hassan Ibrahim and Yusuf Hassan and the Iranians were identified as Ali Mohamed and Abduk Baseet while there was also Khan Mohamed, a Pakistani national.

They disembarked the police chopper while handcuffed in pairs before they were driven in a Land Rover to the High Court under armed escort.

The six were driven to the Nairobi Law Courts at precisely 4.28pm under tight security. With sirens blaring and guns cocked, their arrival immediately attracted the attention of curious onlookers.

Originated in Afghanistan

However, they did not plead to the charges because two of them do not understand English and need an interpreter.

It is believed the heroin had originated Afghanistan and was to be repackaged in the house before being redistributed.

The seizure is the biggest since the 2004 find of cocaine that was valued at Sh2.6 billion days after it had arrived from South America.

Kenya is increasingly being used as a transit point for the drugs but no major arrest has been made over the same.

Ironically, the seizure was made hours after Iteere told Parliament the current Penal Code, court procedures, and fines are not adequate to sustain war on drug trafficking.

When he testified to parliamentary Committee on Administration of National Security on Thursday, Iteere praised the Anti-Narcotics Police Unit and disclosed that that a probe on MPs who were mentioned in connection to drug trafficking was not yet complete.

Preliminary investigation

Last month, a preliminary investigation by the unit indicated that no actionable evidence had been found on Mr William Kabogo (Juja), Mr Gidion Mbuvi (Makadara), Mr Harun Mwau (Kilome) and Mr Hassan Joho (Kisauni) and a coast businessman Ali Punjani.

"The investigation is still going on. Let no one tell you that we have absolved anybody. The investigation will also involve the Drug Enforcement Agency of the US," said Iteere after testifying to House committee."