Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have apprehended two men linked to a series of drug trafficking in Machakos County.

In a statement by the official DCI X account on Thursday March 12,2026, DCI announced that the two were nabbed in the early hours of Thursday.

At the time of the operation, the officers from the Anti-Narcotics Unit (ANU) confirmed the recovery of a large consignment of suspected narcotic drugs.

“A well-coordinated intelligence-driven operation by officers from the Anti-Narcotics Unit (ANU) has dealt a significant blow to a narcotics trafficking ring following the arrest of two suspects and the recovery of a large consignment of suspected narcotic drugs in the early hours of today,” DCI said.

The DCI said that the operation unfolded at around 0200 hours, when vigilant ANU detectives acting on actionable intelligence regarding individuals involved in trafficking narcotic substances mounted a targeted operation in the Ng’alalya area of Joska, within Mavoko Sub-County, Machakos County.

Upon arrival in the area, the officers intercepted a motor vehicle which had been flagged as a possible carrier of the illicit consignment. The detectives swiftly moved in and secured the vehicle before conducting a meticulous search.

The arrest

DCI confirmed that their efforts yielded a significant discovery. Hidden inside the vehicle were three greenish gunny bags and eleven yellow-taped bales, all packed with greenish dry plant material suspected to be narcotic drugs. The seized exhibits were carefully secured as evidence.

Preliminary assessments indicate that the recovered consignment has an approximate weight of 180 kilograms, with an estimated street value of Ksh5,400,000.

The recovered exhibits have since been securely transported and stored at the DCI Headquarters exhibits store, where they are pending official weighing and sampling to ascertain the precise weight and value as part of the ongoing investigations.

Meanwhile, the officers announced that the persons of interest are currently being held at Muthaiga Police Station, where they remain in custody pending arraignment before court on charges related to trafficking in narcotic drugs.

The motor vehicle used in the suspected trafficking operation has been detained at Joska Police Station, awaiting transfer to the DCI Headquarters yard as investigations progress.