A 29-year-old Nigerian national has been arrested in Nairobi after detectives uncovered dozens of sachets of cannabis sativa allegedly prepared for distribution within the city.
The suspect, identified as Christian Ikechukwu Uzochukwu, was arrested during a coordinated operation conducted by detectives from the Anti-Narcotics Unit (ANU) together with officers from the Transnational Organised Crime Unit (TOCU).
According to Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the arrest followed intelligence-led investigations that linked the suspect to a narcotics trafficking network believed to have been operating within Nairobi and its surrounding areas.
Detectives reportedly monitored the suspect for some time before zeroing in on his residence located in the Kabarnet area along Ngong Road.
During the operation, officers carried out a detailed search of the house and recovered 33 sachets of cannabis sativa.
Authorities said the drugs had been neatly packaged and were suspected to be ready for sale and distribution to clients within the city.
Besides the narcotics, detectives also recovered two passports bearing the suspect’s name as well as other items believed to be important to the ongoing investigations.
Preliminary findings by investigators further revealed that the suspect was allegedly staying in the country illegally, adding another dimension to the case that is now being handled by authorities.
The suspect was later escorted to Muthaiga Police Station where he is currently being processed ahead of his arraignment in court.
Police have since detained the recovered narcotics as exhibits as investigations continue.
The latest arrest comes amid heightened operations by Kenyan security agencies targeting drug trafficking syndicates and transnational criminal networks operating in major towns and cities.
In recent months, anti-narcotics officers have intensified crackdowns on suspects linked to the sale and movement of illegal substances, warning that traffickers are increasingly using urban residential estates as distribution points.
Authorities have repeatedly expressed concern over the growing availability of narcotics among young people, especially in urban centres, saying the illegal trade continues to fuel crime, addiction and insecurity.
Investigators are now expected to widen the probe to establish whether the suspect was working alone or was part of a larger network supplying drugs across Nairobi.
FOLLOW NAIROBI NEWS ON FACEBOOK
