The National Anti-Narcotics Investigations Bureau (NANIB) recovered narcotics valued at more than Sh779 million and arrested 1,631 suspects between January and October 2026, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has announced.
In a statement to the media on Monday, November 9, DCI Director Mohamed Amin said the recoveries were part of the Government’s intensified campaign against narcotics trafficking and illicit alcohol, which has been declared a national security priority.
Amin said the Government had strengthened the country’s anti-narcotics enforcement capacity by transforming the former Anti-Narcotics Unit into NANIB.
In April 2026, the bureau recruited 208 officers drawn from the Kenya Police Service and the Administration Police Service. It also established 40 additional stations and trained 314 new and existing officers in basic anti-narcotics investigations at the National Criminal Investigations Academy in Nairobi.
The measures are intended to strengthen specialised investigations, intelligence gathering and operational coverage across the country.
Three suspects arrested in Sh3.6 billion methamphetamine seizure
Amin also announced a major drug seizure in Kwale County following intelligence sharing between Kenyan and Tanzanian authorities.
A multi-agency team led by NANIB detectives arrested two suspects on November 7, 2026, in Shirazi Village. They were identified as Basleman Saleh Khamis, described by the DCI as a drug trafficker wanted in Kenya and Tanzania, and Nakabugo Zuraicah, a 37-year-old Ugandan woman.
Further investigations led detectives to Ganja la Simba Village in Kinondo, where a targeted search resulted in the recovery of 454 kilogrammes of suspected methamphetamine.
A third suspect, identified as Hamad Seif Said, a 54-year-old Tanzanian national, was arrested during the operation.
Detectives also seized two motor vehicles, a white Ford station wagon and a white Ford pickup, as well as a red TVS motorcycle registration number KMGT 230A.
The DCI estimated the street value of the recovered drugs at Sh3.6 billion.
The three suspects remain in custody as investigations continue to establish the extent of the alleged trafficking network and identify other possible accomplices.
Amin described the operation as a major achievement, attributing it to intelligence-led investigations, cross-border cooperation and sustained pressure on drug trafficking networks.
Kenya records largest methamphetamine seizure
The Kwale operation comes after the seizure of 1,036 kilogrammes of methamphetamine from the vessel MV Mashaallah in the Indian Ocean.
The drugs, valued at approximately Sh8.2 billion, represented the largest methamphetamine seizure in Kenya’s history, according to the DCI.
They were destroyed on September 24, 2026, at Bamburi Cement Factory in Mombasa under the supervision of the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration.
Representatives from the Judiciary, Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), Government Chemist, security agencies and the Kenya Navy, among other stakeholders, witnessed the destruction.
Between January and October 2026, NANIB recovered 21,005.54 kilogrammes of cannabis valued at Sh630,166,200.
The bureau also seized 10.23 kilogrammes of cocaine worth Sh40,920,000, 7.74 kilogrammes of heroin valued at Sh23,220,000, 7.67 kilogrammes of methamphetamine worth Sh61,352,000 and 4.8 kilogrammes of amphetamine valued at Sh24 million.
The combined estimated value of the recoveries was Sh779,658,200, while 1,631 suspects were arrested during the period.
Amin said the bureau was also pursuing convictions against individuals involved in drug trafficking.
“In Iten, an individual was sentenced to pay a fine of Sh24 million or serve 10 years’ imprisonment in default following conviction for trafficking 266.2 kilogrammes of cannabis valued at Sh7,986,000,” he said.
“In another case, the High Court upheld the sentences imposed on three individuals who were convicted by the JKIA court in 2025 for trafficking 871.8 kilogrammes of cannabis valued at Sh26,154,000.”
DCI targets financiers behind drug trafficking networks
Beyond arrests and seizures, Amin said NANIB was working with the Asset Recovery Agency and other institutions to investigate and trace proceeds of drug-related crimes.
He said investigators were targeting assets believed to be linked to trafficking, including cash, vehicles, houses, land and businesses.
The approach, he added, was intended to go beyond arresting couriers and reach the financiers and organisers who sustain drug trafficking networks.
Amin said the bureau was also working with NACADA, county governments, customs authorities, border management committees, the Judiciary, ODPP and other investigative agencies.
He particularly highlighted cooperation with Tanzanian law enforcement agencies, saying intelligence sharing and joint operational follow-ups had strengthened efforts to tackle cross-border trafficking.
“The seamless real-time exchange of intelligence and the joint operational follow-up that led to this recovery are clear evidence of the strength of this regional cooperation,” he said.
He added that his role as Africa’s Delegate on the INTERPOL Executive Committee had strengthened Kenya’s engagement with international law enforcement networks through intelligence sharing and operational coordination.
The DCI director acknowledged the support of Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen and Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja Kirocho, alongside other partner agencies.
He urged members of the public to remain vigilant and share information about suspected narcotics trafficking with law enforcement agencies.
Amin said public cooperation remained an important part of successful investigations.
“Kenya will not be allowed to serve as a transit route, a destination market or a safe haven for drug traffickers,” he said.
He added that the Government remained committed to pursuing trafficking syndicates, their financiers and accomplices to ensure those involved in the illicit trade were brought to justice.
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