On July 15, as travellers waited to board the 1pm flight from Mombasa to Dubai, detectives at the city’s Moi International Airport were focused on one passenger.
The 67-year-old man appeared to be preparing for an ordinary journey. But intelligence reports had linked him to an international drug trafficking network, and investigators suspected that he was carrying cocaine concealed inside his body.
Before he could board the flight, detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Anti-Narcotics Unit, working with airport security officers, intercepted him. The operation would later be linked to an international drug trafficking syndicate which has been under investigation for the last few months, operating from Mombasa as a transit point.
The suspect was taken into custody and transferred to an isolation facility for medical observation after authorities suspected that he had swallowed cocaine pellets in an attempt to evade airport security checks.
He was later escorted to Port Reitz Hospital, where doctors and medical personnel placed him under continuous observation to safely recover the swallowed narcotics. Police said medical experts successfully retrieved 44 pellets from his digestive system during a medically supervised procedure designed to prevent the pellets from rupturing.
Police have intercepted drugs worth Sh51 million at the coast region, with the latest one being from a traveller who was heading to Dubai and had swallowed more than 20 Pallets before his arrest in this photo taken on July 21, 2026.
Photo credit: Kevin Odit| Nation Media Group
"We intercepted him and took him to a place of isolation where we recovered all the pellets from his stomach. He had swallowed the narcotics, and these will be used as exhibits in a court of law," said Coast Regional Police Commander Ali Nuno.
According to investigators, swallowing narcotics to evade security checks is considered one of the most dangerous methods of drug trafficking because any rupture of the pellets inside the body can release highly concentrated drugs into the bloodstream, often resulting in fatal poisoning.
Police disclosed that the man’s arrest was as a result of an ongoing operation which has so far resulted in the arrest of several other suspects, including alleged drug barons. Drugs worth about Sh151 million have been recovered in total within a few months.
Mr Nuno said security officers acted on credible intelligence and intercepted the suspect before he could board the outbound flight. The recovered pellets were subsequently subjected to forensic analysis, which confirmed that they contained cocaine.
The Coast Regional Police boss, Ali Nuno, addressing the Press at the Regional Headquarters in Mombasa in this photo taken on July 21 2026.
Photo credit: Kevin Odit|Nation Media Group
The exhibits have since been secured as evidence to support criminal charges expected to be filed once investigations are complete.
The operation also led to the arrest of another key suspect who detectives believe was the mastermind behind the drug trafficking. During follow-up investigations, officers raided a house suspected to have been used as a hideout and temporary holding facility for drug couriers.
The search led to the recovery of an additional 16 pellets believed to contain cocaine. Police suspect that the house was being used to prepare and accommodate drug couriers before they travelled through the airport to international destinations.
Police have intercepted drugs worth Sh51 million at the coast region, with the latest one being from a traveller who was heading to Dubai and had swallowed more than 20 Pallets before his arrest in this photo taken on July 21, 2026.
Photo credit: Kevin Odit| Nation Media Group
Authorities believe the latest arrests have disrupted a wider criminal network operating across the region, although investigations are continuing to establish the full extent of the syndicate and identify additional suspects.
Police said the latest operation forms part of a broader crackdown on drug trafficking along the Coast, with police intensifying efforts to target networks involved in the transportation and distribution of narcotics through Kenya's international airports, seaports and other transport hubs.
Security officers have warned traffickers against adopting increasingly risky concealment methods, including swallowing narcotics, saying law enforcement agencies continue to strengthen intelligence gathering and surveillance operations.
Statistics released by the DCI Anti-Narcotics Unit indicate that authorities have made significant drug seizures across the Coast region over the past several months.
According to the report, detectives have recovered 37 kilograms of heroin with an estimated street value of Sh111.846 million. They have also seized 1,336 grams of cocaine valued at approximately Sh5.344 million.
"The total arrests we have made in connection with drugs stand at 27 suspects. Out of these, five are drug barons without a doubt, 10 are carriers and 12 are peddlers," Mr Nuno said.
The report further shows that officers recovered 204 grams of methamphetamine, commonly known as meth, with an estimated street value of Sh1.632 million during operations conducted over the last four months. Cannabis remains the most commonly seized narcotic in the region.
Police reported recovering 10,747.84 kilograms of Cannabis sativa, commonly known as bhang, with an estimated street value of Sh32.243 million. Combined, the total street value of all narcotics recovered during anti-drug operations along the Coast stands at approximately Sh151.065 million.
Police have, however, expressed concern over security vulnerabilities at airports and other transport hubs, warning that traffickers are increasingly exploiting weaknesses in surveillance systems. Investigators believe criminal networks operating in Kenya are collaborating with accomplices from neighbouring countries to facilitate the movement of narcotics across international borders.
Authorities said intelligence-led operations would continue as they seek to dismantle organised criminal groups involved in the manufacture, transportation and distribution of illegal drugs.
The suspects remain in police custody as investigations continue. Detectives are awaiting the completion of medical procedures involving the arrested drug courier, alongside the conclusion of forensic examinations on the recovered exhibits, before presenting the suspects in court to face formal drug trafficking charges.
Police have urged members of the public to cooperate with law enforcement agencies by reporting suspicious activities linked to drug trafficking, saying public support remains critical in combating organised crime and protecting communities from the harmful effects of narcotics.
