DCI detectives have uncovered a drug trafficking operation after arresting one suspect and intercepting a cocaine consignment valued at approximately Ksh 2.19 million.

The incident unfolded when a Simba Coach bus, Reg. No. KDG 093H, en route from Kampala to Nairobi, arrived at the border post for routine screening at the Malaba One-Stop Border Post (OSBP).

During the inspection, officers found an unattended parcel inside the bus, raising suspicion and prompting further scrutiny.

Detectives at the scene said after the parcel was singled out for examination, the situation took a dramatic twist. The driver and the conductor vanished from the scene, abandoning the bus and its passengers, leaving behind a trail of unanswered questions.

Detectives from the National Anti-Narcotics Investigations Bureau (NANIB) in Malaba subsequently took over the consignment for further processing.

Preliminary tests confirmed the substance to be cocaine, packaged in eight pellets weighing 547.99 grams, with an estimated street value of Ksh 2,191,960.

“In the ensuing investigations, the bus turn boy, Meshack Medalack, was arrested in connection with the incident,” said DCI.

Detectives are trailing the driver, identified only as Karama, and the conductor, John Musimbi, as investigations seek to unravel the circumstances surrounding the consignment and establish the respective roles of those involved.

The bus was detained at Malaba OSBP as the management arranged for alternative transport for the affected passengers.

The DCI, through NANIB, said it remains steadfast in its war against narcotics trafficking, tightening the noose on drug networks seeking to exploit transport routes and border crossings.