Police seize 454kg of suspected methamphetamine worth Sh3.6bn in Kwale

NAIROBI, Kenya - Police forces in Kwale County have apprehended 454 kilograms of suspected methamphetamine, estimated to be worth Sh3.6 billion, as part of a multi-agency operation targeting a suspected international drug trafficking network. Three foreign nationals, including two Tanzanians and a Ugandan woman, were arrested during the extensive operation.

The suspects were identified following intelligence that linked them to another seizure of 259 kilograms of suspected methamphetamine and cocaine in Tanzania. The operation, led by the National Anti-Narcotics Bureau (NANB) Coast Region, involved collaboration between Kenyan and Tanzanian security agencies. It was sparked by the arrest of a 45-year-old Tanzanian national, Saleh Khamis, by Tanzanian authorities on November 5, 2026, who was subsequently handed over to Kenyan police at the Lunga Lunga–Horohoro border crossing.

This significant drug interception is among the major drug seizures reported in the Coast region, raising concerns over cross-border narcotics trafficking and the movement of illicit substances through the area. Authorities are now conducting investigations to uncover the source of the drugs, their intended destination, and determine if additional individuals are part of the suspected trafficking network.