Sh60 Million Bhang Plantation Discovered in Mwingi

Police have recovered bhang estimated to be worth Sh60 million after discovering a three-acre plantation in Mwingi Central, Kitui County.

According to a statement shared by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) on its X account, the plantation was discovered in Kakongo Village, Kairungu Location, within Kiomo Kyethani Ward.

The discovery was made after security officers received intelligence about the cultivation of bhang in the area. Officers from the National Police Service (NPS), together with National Government Administration Officers (NGAO), conducted an operation in the area.

The officers found the plantation along the Tana River, where the bhang had been planted together with food crops. The arrangement is believed to have been an attempt to conceal the illegal crop from members of the public and security agencies.

With the assistance of members of the public, the officers uprooted the bhang and transported it to Mwingi Police Station for weighing.

The recovered bhang weighed approximately 2,000 kilograms and was estimated to have a street value of Sh60 million.

During the operation, security officers also recovered several items believed to have been used in the cultivation and maintenance of the plantation.

Among the items recovered were seven solar panels, six jembes, four pangas, two weighing scales, two fork jembes and two hacksaws. The officers also recovered a solar control unit and other solar accessories.

Five petrol-operated water-pump generators and 30 kilograms of CAN fertiliser were also recovered from the plantation.

The DCI said that personal documents suspected to belong to the people involved in the cultivation were also found at the scene.

However, the people suspected to be behind the cultivation were not arrested during the operation. According to the DCI, the suspects had fled before the officers could apprehend them.

The discovery has prompted further investigations into the large-scale cultivation of bhang in the area.

Detectives from the National Anti-Narcotics Investigations Bureau (NANIB) in Mwingi Central are pursuing leads aimed at identifying and apprehending the people believed to be behind the plantation.

The operation comes as security agencies continue efforts to deal with the cultivation, trafficking and distribution of narcotic drugs in different parts of the country.

The National Police Service has urged members of the public to continue providing information to security agencies on activities involving the cultivation and distribution of narcotic drugs.

The information provided by members of the public can help security agencies identify illegal activities and take action against those involved.