Key suspect in Coast drug cartel arrested in dawn raid

A suspected key logistician and storekeeper of a well-organised drug trafficking cartel has been arrested in a dawn operation by detectives in Malindi on Monday.

The suspect who is part of the cartel which has its roots in Mombasa but operates from Kilifi, was apprehended in the remote village of Ngerenya, Tezo, within Kilifi County on Monday, where authorities confiscated 3.5 kilogrammes of heroin crystals, already packaged into 100g packs ready for distribution.

The raid, described by police as a “surprise sting operation,” followed weeks of meticulous surveillance and investigation into the activities of the cartel.

Detectives disclosed that the heroin, now a rare commodity in local drug dens, had been smuggled into Kenya through the porous Busia border from Uganda. Once in the country, it was allegedly processed and packaged in Kilifi before being distributed across the Coast region.

The cartel, according to authorities, has been one of the most prominent suppliers of heroin, particularly in the notorious drug hotspots of Magodoroni and Bamburi Mwisho.

Here, it is reported users scramble for the scarcely available drug, which the syndicate has dubbed “fillet” due to its high quality.

Growing influence

The cartel’s influence, police believe, has grown significantly following the death of Swaleh Yussuf Ahmed, alias Kendereni, a well-known supplier whose sudden demise left a power vacuum in the local drug scene.

It is rumoured that the leader of this cartel has been boasting of having compromised local law enforcement, allowing the group to expand its operations without interference.

Police, however, have vowed to dismantle the entire network and bring all its members to justice. “We are determined to ensure that this syndicate is completely eradicated from the region,” said a senior detective involved in the operation.

The arrested suspect is currently being held at Kilifi Police Station and will be arraigned in court on Tuesday.

Police are continuing their investigations and are expected to make more arrests as they pursue the remaining members of the cartel.

Authorities have urged the public to provide any information that could assist in the dismantling of the drug trafficking network.