- Kimwele Mutuku reports that security officers have uncovered a three-acre bhang plantation in Kitui County.
- The crop, weighing about 2,000 kilogrammes, was concealed among food crops along the Tana River.
- Detectives have launched investigations after the suspected cultivators escaped before officers arrived at the scene.
Security agencies have uncovered a three-acre bhang plantation valued at an estimated Sh60 million along the Tana River in Mwingi Central, Kitui County.
The illicit crop was discovered in Kakongo Village, Kairungu Location, Kiomo Kyethani Ward, during an intelligence-led operation involving officers from the National Police Service (NPS) and National Government Administration Officers (NGAO).
Acting on information from members of the public, the security team raided a river delta where the bhang had been planted and concealed among assorted food crops.
The officers, assisted by members of the public, uprooted the plants and transported them to Mwingi Police Station, where they were weighed.
The consignment weighed about 2,000 kilogrammes and was estimated to have a street value of Sh60 million.
Equipment recovered
The operation also led to the recovery of equipment believed to have been used in cultivating and maintaining the plantation.
Among the items seized were seven solar panels, six jembes, four pangas, two weighing scales, two fork jembes, two hacksaws, a solar control unit, assorted solar accessories, five petrol-powered water pumps and 30 kilogrammes of CAN fertiliser.
Several personal documents suspected to belong to those involved in the cultivation were also recovered at the scene.
However, the suspected cultivators escaped before the security officers arrived, leaving behind the plantation and equipment.
Investigations have since been launched by detectives from the National Anti-Narcotics Investigations Bureau (NANIB) in Mwingi Central to identify and apprehend those behind the large-scale cultivation.
The operation comes amid continued efforts by security agencies to disrupt the cultivation, trafficking and distribution of narcotic drugs across the country.
READ ALSO: Kisumu partners with Swiss firm to revamp vocational training centres
The National Police Service has urged members of the public to continue providing information that could assist authorities in identifying and dismantling narcotics networks.
The latest seizure is among significant narcotics operations targeting illegal drug cultivation in the region.
By Kimwele Mutuku
Get more stories from our website: Education News
To write to us or offer feedback, you can reach us at: editor@educationnews.co.ke
You can also follow our social media pages on Twitter: Education News KE and Facebook: Education News Newspaper for timely updates.
>> Click here to stay up-to-date with trending regional stories
