A joint Kenyan-Tanzanian security operation has led to the recovery of suspected narcotics worth Ksh3.6 billion and the arrest of three suspects in Kwale County.
The operation began after Tanzanian authorities arrested a key suspect on November 5, 2026, while allegedly in possession of suspected narcotic drugs.
Following the arrest, officers from the National Police Service (NPS) moved to the Lungalunga-Horohoro border, where Tanzanian authorities formally handed over the suspect to Kenyan security agencies for further investigations.
Information from the suspect led investigators to Shirazi Village in Kingwede Shirazi Location, Msambweni, where they identified a second suspect.
Further interrogation and investigations led officers to Ganja La Simba Village in Kinondo Location, also within Msambweni Sub-County.
Massive Narcotics Recovery
A search conducted at the location resulted in the recovery of packages containing suspected narcotics weighing 454 kilograms.
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Authorities estimated the street value of the drugs at KSh3.6 billion.
A third suspect was arrested during the operation.
Security teams also seized two motor vehicles and a motorcycle believed to be linked to the trafficking network.
The three suspects are being held in custody as investigations continue, while the recovered narcotics and seized vehicles have been retained as exhibits.
Cross-Border Operation
The National Police Service said the operation was carried out within a multi-agency framework aimed at combating narcotic drugs, illicit alcohol and other harmful substances.
Police said the operation followed intelligence-led investigations and cooperation between Kenyan and Tanzanian security agencies.
The NPS said it remains committed to working with local, regional and international partners to dismantle cross-border drug trafficking networks and other forms of transnational organised crime.
The agency said the operation remains ongoing and further updates will be provided as investigations continue.
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Police also urged members of the public to report suspicious activities through the nearest police station, emergency numbers 911 and 999, the #FichuaKwaDCI hotline on 0800 722 203, or WhatsApp number 0709 570 000.
Coast Drug Crackdown Intensifies
The latest Ksh3.6 billion seizure in Kwale adds to a series of major anti-narcotics operations that have been carried out along Kenya’s Coast in recent months.
In September 2026, the government destroyed methamphetamine worth Ksh8.2 billion that had been seized during a major Indian Ocean operation in October 2025.
The consignment, weighing more than one tonne, was intercepted about 630 kilometres off the Kenyan coast, with six Iranian nationals currently facing trial over the haul.
Earlier in July, Coast police announced the arrest of 27 suspects and the seizure of drugs worth Ksh51.5 million during a three-month crackdown.
The recovered narcotics included 10,700 kilograms of cannabis, seven kilograms of heroin, 1.33 kilograms of cocaine and 205 grams of methamphetamine.
In April, detectives arrested a Nigerian suspect in Mombasa and recovered heroin with an estimated street value of Ksh30 million.
Investigators said the suspect was believed to be linked to a wider trafficking syndicate operating along the Coast.
A month later, DCI officers seized narcotics worth Ksh2.19 million in Mombasa’s Kwa Hola area.
The haul included 300 kilograms of cannabis, three kilograms of skunk and 300 grams of heroin, while two suspects were arrested.
In January, anti-narcotics officers recovered 1,346 grams of heroin worth more than KSh4 million during a raid in Utange, Mombasa.
Officers also recovered equipment believed to have been used in processing and packaging the drugs.
Tanzania has increasingly become a key focus in investigations into drug trafficking networks operating along Kenya’s Coast due to its long shared border with Kenya and its position along the Indian Ocean trafficking route.
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