An Italian man and his Kenyan accomplice were arrested over the weekend in Mwabungo village, Ukunda, following a quiet surveillance operation by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
The 37-year-old foreigner, who had been living in a gated property tucked away in a remote part of the coastal village, is suspected of running a drug lab from within the compound.
Officers from the DCI’s Anti-Narcotics Unit, working closely with local police, raided the premises after days of watching the site from a distance.
When they finally moved in, detectives found a makeshift lab hidden behind high brick walls and a heavy metal gate.
Inside were chemicals, packaging materials with markings of known drugs, and equipment believed to be used for manufacturing narcotics.
One part of the compound had even been converted into a small cannabis plantation.
Pictures later released by the DCI showed a serene, well kept estate a far cry from what kind of dwelling one would assume for such an operation.
The two suspects are in custody and will be brought to court on charges of drugs.
"This arrest is part of our overall efforts to dismantle drug networks that operate within our jurisdiction," the police said.The bust comes just months after detectives unearthed another suspected drug lab, this time in Kajiado County.
That September raid led officers to a 10-acre farm near the Nairobi-Namanga Highway, where they discovered lab gear, chemical stores, and even living quarters tucked inside iron sheet structures.
That raid led to the arrest of six people, three of whom are Kenyan, two are Nigerian, and one is Mexican.
Officials assert that they are still searching for two additional suspects both of whom are also suspected to be Mexican nationals.
Police believe the Kajiado case is part of an international syndicate with networks covering Nigeria, India, South Africa, Gabon, and Mexico.
