A major anti-drug operation in Taita Taveta County has led to the arrest of a suspected notorious trafficker after detectives recovered heroin and large quantities of cannabis sativa during a raid in Mwatate.
The operation was carried out by a joint team of officers from the Anti-Narcotics Unit (ANU) Coast Regional Headquarters and detectives from Taita Taveta following intelligence reports about suspected drug trafficking activities in the area.
According to investigators, undercover officers acting on a tip-off stormed Hill Court Apartments located in Jombo Chawia village where they discovered narcotics believed to be linked to an active drug distribution network operating within the region.
During the raid, detectives recovered a packet of heroin together with two sacks stuffed with cannabis sativa hidden inside the apartments. Authorities say the seizure marks another significant breakthrough in ongoing efforts to dismantle drug trafficking operations along the Coast region and neighboring counties.
The suspect, identified as 42-year-old Charles Mwakala Mngolia, was arrested at the scene as detectives moved in to shut down the alleged operation before the narcotics could be distributed.
Police say the suspect is currently being held at the Coast Regional Headquarters where he is undergoing processing ahead of his arraignment in court. The recovered drugs have since been secured as exhibits as investigations continue.
The arrest comes amid intensified anti-narcotics operations targeting traffickers using residential apartments and hidden locations to store and distribute illegal drugs across the Coast region. Authorities have repeatedly warned that drug trafficking networks continue evolving their operations in attempts to evade detection by law enforcement agencies.
Detectives say investigations are ongoing to determine whether the suspect was operating alone or as part of a larger trafficking syndicate supplying narcotics within the region and beyond.
