DCI chief Amin inspects Sh3.6bn narcotics haul in fresh anti-drug trafficking operation

DCI Director Mohamed Amin inspects seized narcotics valued at Ksh3.6 billion at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Headquarters in Mombasa County on Monday, November 9, 2026, during an operation targeting illicit drug trafficking on November 9, 2026./JOHN CHESOLIDirectorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Director Mohamed Amin has inspected narcotics valued at Sh3.6 billion seized during an operation targeting illicit drug trafficking along the Kenyan coast.

Amin inspected the drugs at DCI headquarters in Mombasa County on Monday, November 9, as investigators intensified efforts to dismantle networks involved in the illegal trade.

The latest development comes days after Kenyan and Tanzanian security agencies arrested suspects and recovered 454kg of methamphetamine, estimated to be worth $27 million (about Sh3.5 billion), in an intelligence-led operation.

The operation involved Kenyan anti-narcotics officers working with their Tanzanian counterparts. It followed the arrest of a key suspect in Tanzania, who was subsequently handed over to Kenyan authorities at the border.

DCI Director Mohamed Amin inspects seized narcotics valued at Ksh3.6 billion at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Headquarters in Mombasa County on Monday, November 9, 2026, during an operation targeting illicit drug trafficking on November 9, 2026./JOHN CHESOLIInvestigators said the suspect, who was allegedly connected to an earlier seizure of 250kg of suspected methamphetamine and cocaine in Tanzania, led officers to a site in Msambweni, Kwale County, where the drugs were discovered.

Further arrests were made at the location, with officers also impounding two motor vehicles and a motorcycle.

Police said four suspects, including two Tanzanians and a Ugandan, were in custody awaiting arraignment. The recovered narcotics and vehicles were being held as exhibits as investigations continued.

The authorities described the operation as ongoing and appealed to members of the public to provide information that could help identify and disrupt drug trafficking networks.

DCI Director Mohamed Amin inspects seized narcotics valued at Ksh3.6 billion at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Headquarters in Mombasa County on Monday, November 9, 2026, during an operation targeting illicit drug trafficking on November 9, 2026./JOHN CHESOLIThe latest seizure comes amid heightened government efforts to tackle drug trafficking and substance abuse.

Last month, Deputy President Kithure Kindiki identified illicit alcohol and drug abuse as major threats to Kenya’s future, warning that the government would pursue tougher laws and intensified operations to contain the problem.

In another major operation, authorities destroyed more than one tonne of methamphetamine intercepted by the Kenya Navy last year in international waters about 630km off the Mombasa coast.

The seizure highlighted growing concerns over the use of the East African coastline in international narcotics trafficking.

The Institute for Security Studies has warned that the region’s role in the global drug trade is changing, with its coastline increasingly serving not only as a transit route for drugs destined for other markets but also as an entry point for manufactured narcotics meant for local consumption.