DCI Clarifies Disruption of Mexican Drug Cartel Operations in Kenya

The DCI released a statement clarifying that a Mexican cartel aimed to set up a meth lab in Namanga, Kenya, but was thwarted. Following a raid in September 2024, multiple suspects, including Kenyans and Nigerians, were arrested. The investigation revealed ties to international drug trafficking networks.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has addressed recent claims regarding a Mexican drug cartel operating a methamphetamine laboratory in Namanga, Kenya. This announcement came promptly after the U.S. Department of State reported the existence of the lab, which was allegedly active until September 2024. The DCI clarified that both Kenyans and Nigerians attempted to establish this lab, but their efforts were thwarted by the DCI Anti-Narcotics Unit before any operations began.

The DCI confirmed that on September 12, 2024, a raid conducted on a 10-acre site near the Nairobi-Namanga Highway revealed two iron sheet structures, indicating potential drug manufacturing. Lab equipment, chemicals, and even two exercise books containing chemical formulas were found, along with a mobile phone belonging to a suspected Mexican national. Immediately following this discovery, a manhunt for the suspects was initiated.

The first suspect, a Kenyan woman, was apprehended on September 16, 2024, in Ruiru due to her alleged role in setting up the site in collaboration with a Nigerian associate. Documentation linking her to various activities surrounding the operation including land purchase and chemical procurement was seized during her arrest. Subsequently, the Nigerian suspect was arrested in Lavington on October 1, 2024, and another individual, identified as the operational mastermind, was detained at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport two days later.

The mastermind has connections to businesses across Nigeria, Gabon, South Africa, and China and is reportedly affiliated with a South American drug cartel. Additionally, a former investigator from the Mexican Police was captured at JKIA while returning to Mexico, believed to be involved in meth production alongside two other unattached Mexicans. With these arrests, a total of six individuals have been charged in this matter, including two Kenyan pharmacies implicated in the acquisition of chemicals for the operation, highlighting a significant international drug syndicate spanning several countries.

The DCI has successfully disrupted the operations of a Mexican drug cartel attempting to establish a meth lab in Kenya, with multiple arrests made in connection to this complex case. The prompt response by the authorities has prevented the operationalization of drug-related activities. This incident underscores the importance of international cooperation in tackling drug trafficking networks that traverse several countries.

Original Source: www.kenyans.co.ke