Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have arrested a suspected drug baron wanted in Kenya and Tanzania after recovering 454 kilogrammes of suspected methamphetamine worth approximately KSh3.6 billion in Kwale County.
The suspect, identified as Basleman Saleh Khamis, was arrested on Saturday, November 7, 2026, alongside a 37-year-old Ugandan woman, Nakabugo Zuraicah, during an intelligence-led operation in Shirazi village.
According to the DCI, the operation was conducted by a multi-agency team led by detectives from the National Anti-Narcotics Investigations Bureau (NANIB), following intelligence shared between Kenyan and Tanzanian authorities.
However, the arrests were only the beginning of the operation.
Further investigations led detectives to Ganja la Simba village in Kinondo, where they conducted a targeted search and recovered 454 kilogrammes of suspected methamphetamine.
The operation also resulted in the arrest of a third suspect, Hamad Seif Said, a 54-year-old Tanzanian national.
In a statement issued during a media briefing on Monday, November 9, the DCI said the recovered drugs had an estimated street value of KSh3.6 billion.
“This is a significant operational achievement, and it underscores the importance of intelligence-led investigations, cross-border cooperation and sustained pressure on trafficking networks,” the DCI stated.
Detectives also seized two motor vehicles and a motorcycle believed to be connected to the operation. They included a white Ford station wagon, registration number KDY 626Z, a white Ford pickup, registration number KDZ 201A, and a red TVS motorcycle, registration number KMGT 230A.
The three suspects remain in custody as investigators pursue further leads to establish the full extent of the trafficking network and identify other people involved.
The latest recovery comes weeks after another major drug seizure in the Indian Ocean, where authorities intercepted 1,036 kilogrammes of methamphetamine aboard the vessel MV Mashaallah.
The consignment, valued at approximately KSh8.2 billion, was described by the DCI as the largest methamphetamine seizure in Kenya’s history. The drugs were destroyed on September 24, 2026, at Bamburi Cement Factory in Mombasa.
Beyond the high-profile seizures, the DCI reported that anti-narcotics detectives recovered more than 21,005 kilogrammes of cannabis, 10.23 kilogrammes of cocaine, 7.74 kilogrammes of heroin, 7.67 kilogrammes of methamphetamine and 4.8 kilogrammes of amphetamine between January and October 2026.
The combined value of the recoveries was estimated at KSh779.6 million, with 1,631 suspects arrested during the same period.
The government says it is also targeting the financial networks behind the illegal drug trade by tracing money, vehicles, property and businesses believed to be proceeds of crime.
Through NANIB, investigators are working with the Asset Recovery Agency and other institutions to pursue the financiers and organisers behind trafficking networks, rather than focusing only on those transporting the drugs.