A police chase on the Malaba-Webuye road left a motorcyclist dead and exposed a car packed with cannabis. Detectives recovered 162 bales of the drug from an abandoned white Mazda CX-5, The Star reported. The bales weighed 170.8 kilogrammes. Their estimated street value is KSh 5,124,000.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said detectives had laid an ambush after receiving credible intelligence about the vehicle. The operation brought together the National Anti-Narcotics Investigations Bureau (NANIB) in Bungoma and DCI detectives from Webuye West.
According to the DCI, the driver spotted the detectives and sped off. The chase ended when the SUV hit a red TVS motorcycle. The rider, identified as Muzungu Munialo, suffered fatal injuries. The Mazda driver abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene.
Traffic officers processed the crash scene before detectives searched the SUV. They found suspected narcotics and towed the car to the police station. A full search there uncovered the bales, wrapped in yellow cellotape.
Detectives also found a second number plate on the back seat. They suspect it was meant to hide the vehicle's identity while it carried the drugs.
The vehicle and the cannabis have been handed over to NANIB Bungoma for further investigation. The DCI said it was still pursuing the driver. It also said it wanted to uncover the wider network behind the suspected trafficking operation. The agency sent its condolences to Munialo's family, friends and relatives.