SUV Crash Leads Police to Sh7.2 Million Bhang Haul on Nakuru-Nairobi Highway
Preliminary investigations indicate that the SUV was attempting to overtake when the driver lost control and collided with the trailer.
Police recover 241.5kg of bhang worth Sh7.2 million after an SUV carrying the suspected consignment crashed along the Nakuru-Nairobi Highway. Photo: DCI.
By Robert Mutasi
Police have recovered 241.5 kilograms of bhang valued at about Sh7.2 million after an SUV carrying the suspected illicit consignment crashed along the Nakuru-Nairobi Highway.
The incident occurred between Shinners Boys and the Mbaruk area after a Mazda CX-5, registration KDW 640U, travelling toward Nairobi, was involved in a collision with an oncoming Scania trailer.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the SUV was attempting to overtake when the driver lost control and collided with the trailer.
The impact caused the Mazda to spin and sustain extensive damage to its front section.
The driver, however, fled from the scene before police arrived, abandoning the vehicle and its cargo.
Officers from Nakuru Central Police Station who processed the crash scene discovered six sacks containing suspected bhang inside the SUV.
The narcotics weighed 241.5 kilograms and have an estimated street value of Sh7,245,000, according to police.
The recovery has prompted investigations into a suspected drug trafficking operation involving the vehicle and its occupants.
Detectives from the National Anti-Narcotics Investigations Bureau in Nakuru have taken over the investigation and secured the recovered exhibits.
Police have also launched a manhunt for the driver, whose identity had not been disclosed by authorities.
Investigators are expected to examine the vehicle, the recovered narcotics and other evidence from the crash scene as they work to establish the source of the bhang and its intended destination.
The recovery comes amid continued police operations targeting the trafficking and distribution of illegal drugs along major transport corridors.
The Nakuru-Nairobi Highway is an important route connecting the capital with the western and Rift Valley regions, making it a key transport corridor for commercial traffic.
Authorities have urged members of the public with information that could help identify the suspect or establish the wider network behind the consignment to report to the police.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations said its officers would continue pursuing individuals and networks involved in the illegal narcotics trade.
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