Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have arrested two suspects in connection with running a narcotics laboratory.
In a statement on Monday, August 4, DCI revealed that the secretive lab was discovered in Ukunda, Kwale County, after days of surveillance.
A team of Anti-Narcotics Unit officers and Kenya Police officers then carried out a raid on the one-acre secluded property.
“Detectives have uncovered a secret narcotics lab tucked away in a quiet neighborhood of Mwabungo village, Ukunda, a place more often associated with serene beaches than crime.
“After days of discreet surveillance and intelligence gathering, a team from the Anti-Narcotics Unit and Kenya Police carried out a well-coordinated raid on a secluded one-acre compound,” read the statement in part.
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Inside the property, the officers arrested 37-year-old Italian national Gianardi Giulio and his accomplice, Moses Nanoka Egadwa.
The team recovered lab equipment and chemicals suspected to be used in the manufacture of drugs, as well as packaging materials marked with the names of known narcotics.
The detectives also discovered that sections of the compound were being used to cultivate what is believed to be cannabis, further strengthening evidence of long-term illegal activity.
The two suspects are in police custody and awaiting arraignment in court.
“The National Police Service has reiterated its commitment to dismantling drug networks and keeping Kenyan communities safe from the harmful effects of narcotics and the illegal drug trade,” DCI added.
