More than 40 revellers were arrested on Saturday night by a multi-agency team and National Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (Nacada) officials following raids on two residential houses in Nyali Suburb, Mombasa.
Speaking during the night raid, Nacada CEO Dr Anthony Omerikwa noted that they acted on intelligence and conducted a sting operation at two shisha joints in Nyali.
"We received information that there were joints that were selling shisha. Shisha has been banned since 2017 and when we entered the premises, we were able to arrest 38 suspects, including the proprietor and the manager,” Dr Omerikwa said.
“We seized 47 shisha pots, over 700 shisha ingredients which we will be submitting to the Government Chemist for testing to verify the contents," he added.
He said the two sites, Hideout and Escape in Nyali, will be treated as crime scenes.
"Once the contents are determined, the charges against the suspects will be updated. For now, they will remain in police custody awaiting arraignment in court on Monday," he said.
Shisha smoking equipment seized during Nacada raids on residential homes in Nyali, Mombasa on January 14, 2024.
Photo credit: Wachira Mwangi | Nation Media Group
"As a multi-agency, we will not relent in ensuring that the law is fully enforced. We will ensure that alcohol and drug abuse is reduced in the country. There are criminal enterprises in Nyali and other places where young people are introduced to alcohol and drug abuse and this must come to an end.
According to the CEO, the Hideout enterprise had a 2017 business operating licence, the same year the government banned the use of shisha.
"The licence we were shown has expired as it was only issued for one month, in August 2017. We would like to understand the circumstances under which these premises were licensed; if indeed the licence shown to us was authentic," he told the press, adding that the raids will continue.
"This is the first step in a very long journey, we are doing it professionally. The safety of both the revellers and the officers involved is paramount. It is in the government's interest that such illegal activities are stamped out.
As Nacada, we will not relent until our society is free from alcohol and drug abuse," said Dr Omerikwa.
One of the suspects arrested at the Escape joint admitted to mixing and dispensing the different flavours to different customers, which were sold for at least Sh1000.
