Editor's Review
Murkomen revealed plans to repossess the land of perpetrators involved in drug trafficking and the illicit brew business.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen reckoned that the owners of the Ksh8.2 billion methamphetamine burnt down in Mombasa have incurred insurmountable financial loss while trying to traffic drugs into the country.
Speaking in Mombasa, Murkomen expressed hope that the seizure and destruction of the consignment left the traffickers bankrupt or at least heavily indebted.
He praised the multi-agency team involved in the capture of the ship for averting a crisis in the country, and reverting the loss to the perpetrators.
"I really hope the person who was importing this Methamphetamine is watching today as we burn the consignment so that the Ksh8.2 billion they were expecting is destroyed.
"I wish that they had paid some money somewhere so that they can go at a loss and become bankrupt so that they can understand the danger they pose to all of us," Murkomen stated.
The Interior CS also turned to the accomplices of the traffickers, stating that the government will not only take hold of the drugs, but also take over the land where the distribution and processing factories are located.
He stated that the same strict measures will be applied to individuals caught in the illicit brew business because the state considers them proceeds of crime.
"If we find you storing illicit alcohol, we will not only confiscate it, but we will commence the process of taking the premises. If your land is used in producing or storing substances such as Methamphetamine, we should not just destroy the consignment, but also take over the land," the CS added.
Murkomen delivered President William Ruto's directive: any government official found colluding with drug traffickers or illicit alcohol network will be dismissed from service and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
He revealed that Ruto has ordered that assets recovered in connection with drug busts be redirected towards rehabilitation, prevention and treatment programmes.
Six Iranian nationals were arrested in connection with the drugs. The suspects pleaded not guilty to the charges weeks after pleading guilty.
Jaseem Darzadeh Nia, Nadeem Jadgal, Hassan Baloch, Raheem Baksh, Imran Baloch, and Imtiyaz Daryay told Chief Magistrate Hon. Anthony Mwicigi that they had not fully comprehended the charges when they entered guilty pleas.
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