Woman caught with AK-47 rifle and mountain of bhang in shocking haul
A high-stakes multi-agency operation in Moyale has led to the arrest of two suspects and the recovery of illegal firearms and a significant haul of cannabis in a sweeping crackdown on drug and gun trafficking along the country’s northern corridor.
According to a statement released by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, the operation, which was executed in the Butiye and Odda areas of Moyale, saw officers from various law enforcement units join forces in a targeted mission to dismantle suspected criminal networks operating in the region.
In the first raid conducted in Butiye, officers stormed the residence of a male person of interest, recovering:
One AK-47 rifle
Three rounds of 7.62 x 39mm ammunition
One rifle magazine
16 kilograms of cannabis sativa
The DCI confirmed that the man was promptly arrested and detained.
In a parallel operation in Odda, a woman was apprehended after police searched her home and uncovered:
Another AK-47 rifle
Two rounds of 7.62 x 39mm ammunition
One rifle magazine
18 kilograms of cannabis sativa
Both suspects have since been transported to Moyale Police Station, where they are undergoing processing as authorities prepare formal charges.
“The suspects, along with the recovered items, have been escorted to Moyale Police Station, where they are currently undergoing processing in preparation for their arraignment,” the DCI said in its statement.
The bust is being hailed as a significant success in ongoing efforts to stem the flow of illegal firearms and narcotics through northern Kenya, a region increasingly under scrutiny due to its proximity to cross-border smuggling routes.
Law enforcement agencies have reiterated their commitment to intensifying such operations, particularly in counties bordering Ethiopia and Somalia, which have long served as hotbeds for trafficking and organised crime.
As investigations continue, security officials say more raids are likely, and further arrests could follow in the coming days as intelligence gathered from the suspects is analysed.
The latest bust came hours after DCI arrested 11 people in connection with a Ksh70 million gold scam.
In a statement on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, DCI indicated that the 11 persons of interest were being held at Capitol Hill after they were arrested at the Spring Valley estate in Nairobi.
“Detectives from the Nairobi Regional Criminal Investigations Office have dismantled a gold scamming syndicate that has been preying on unsuspecting victims, arresting eleven suspects, seizing 350kgs of counterfeit gold,” DCI noted in a statement.
“The arrest follows a report received from a victim who had been defrauded of Ksh70.6 million in a fraudulent gold scheme. Acting on credible intelligence, the detectives trailed the suspects to their hideout in the Spring Valley estate, where they executed a swift arrest,” the statement added.
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