The government has announced a raft of measures to contain drug trafficking along the Isiolo-Moyale road following the re-emergence of the illegal trade.
Bhang worth over Sh2 million has been seized along the route in the last two months with the latest cache being recovered on Thursday at Archer's Post.
Four young men were arrested while ferrying 30 kilogrammes of bhang in a private vehicle, hidden under the bonnet.
Isiolo County Commissioner Geoffrey Omoding said a special anti-trafficking police unit had been created to deal with the drug menace.
The highly trained team, he said, will also deal with firearms dealings by some of the drug traffickers.
Police officers search the vehicle which was seized while transporting 30kg of bhang along Isiolo-Moyale road on October 7, 2021.
Photo credit: Waweru Wairimu | Nation Media Group
Also, all vehicles including those belonging to government officials will be subjected to searches in an effort to ensure no narcotics sail through unnoticed.
“The drug lords should know that the government is several steps ahead of them and we will continue embracing more technology to eradicate the illegal business,” Mr Omoding said.
Accompanied by County Police Commander Joseph Kigen and his Criminal Investigations counterpart Betty Chepng’eno, the administrator said sniffer dogs will be increased along the route for easier identification of vehicles with narcotics.
Drug traffickers have in the recent past changed tack, with majority of them, besides using off the highway routes to avoid police surveillance, colluding with rogue police officers and tasking boda boda riders to ferry the huge consignments in small ‘unnoticeable’ quantities.
Mr Omoding said the fight against drug not only focuses on those transporting the narcotics but all those involved, from the source to the consumers.
“We are committed to arresting the big fish who are using the young men to transport the drugs. The four (arrested on Thursday) are being interrogated to share crucial information to assist us in making the arrest of other people involved,” he noted.
Youths are likely targets for being used to transport narcotics due to their desire to earn quick money.
The administrator asked operators in the car hire business to take personal details of their clients as some are hiring the vehicles to transport drugs.
While lamenting that drug proliferation had destroyed lives of many youth, he attributed it to the rising crime and suicide cases and the number of mad persons in Isiolo town and neighbouring trading centres.
He announced a countywide crackdown on traders selling substandard goods and those not remitting the required taxes.
