Two persons of interest linked to drug trafficking are in custody after police in Mombasa intercepted a parcel containing multiple rolls of cannabis sativa.

According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the Sunday, August 10, 2025, operation was carried out by officers from Mombasa Central Police Station following a public tip-off.

“Law enforcement officers from Mombasa Central Police Station have nabbed two suspected drug traffickers, intercepting a sizeable haul of cannabis in the process,” the DCI said in a statement on X.

The bust was triggered when vigilant members of the public noticed a suspicious parcel from a bus that had just arrived at Mwembe Tayari from Homa Bay. Concerned it might contain narcotics, they alerted authorities.

“Acting with the precision of hawks circling their prey, officers hurried to the booking office and quietly lay in wait for the suspects to claim their cargo,” the DCI said.

Their patience paid off when the duo arrived to collect the parcel, unaware that plainclothes officers were watching.

“In one swift move, officers pounced, arresting them and escorting both the suspects and their illicit bundle to the station,” the DCI statement added.

Upon inspection, police found the package contained multiple rolls of cannabis sativa. The persons of interest are being processed pending arraignment, while the drugs are being held as exhibits.

Part of wider crackdown

This latest seizure comes amid a series of recent crackdowns on illegal cannabis across the country. Just two days earlier, police in Nyeri uprooted a suspected bhang plantation in Kigogoini following another public tip-off. In that incident, two brothers believed to be behind the cultivation remain on the run.

The National Police Service has credited the public’s cooperation for the recent successes. “The National Police Service remains committed to eliminating illegal drugs and appreciates the public’s continued support,” it said after the Nyeri operation.

Similarly, on August 4, officers at the Watiti Roadblock in Wajir County arrested a man transporting about three kilograms of cannabis on a motorbike after a vigilant citizen reported suspicious behaviour.