Police recover marijuana consignment being transported in a hearse

By Peter Ochieng 

Police officers on Sunday night recovered a consignment of marijuana, popularly known as bhang being transported in a hearse.

The consignment of 12 sacks of marijuana was intercepted at the Suo roadblock, along the Kisumu Busia highway, Busia county, as it was reportedly being ferried to the Kisumu International Airport (KIA) for possible airlifting to Nairobi.

Police suspect the product was from the neighbouring Uganda.

According to a statement from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the marijuana was neatly arranged in the vehicle to fend off suspicion.

"In the bizarre incident that stunned police officers manning a roadblock at Suo in Busia county, the product had been neatly arranged in the vehicle that is ordinarily used in the conveyance of the dead to the grave."

"According to the officers, they had flagged down a white nissan van branded Rafiki Funeral Services-Othaya, for routine check up at around 7pm. The heavily tinted vehicle whose stereo was playing sombre tunes associated with escorting the departed, pulled over. The policeman detected some smell from inside the vehicle that was not related to human remains," said the DCI.

Police then discovered marijuana neatly arranged in sacks, placed on seats and the floor.

"His fears were confirmed moments later when after conducting a search inside the vehicle together with his colleagues, they discovered 12 sacks of cannabis sativa arranged on the seats and floor of the van."

The driver was promptly arrested. "The driver of the hearse Hussein Otita, was arrested and the motor vehicle registration number KCV 402Y impounded."

In a related incident, far away from Busia, officers based at Korondile police station in Wajir county, recovered 58 kilograms of marijuana being transported to Wajir town on a motorcycle.

DCI confirmed that two suspects Osman Boru, 25 and Halkno Guchu, 24 were arrested and detained at Korondile police station pending arraignment.

The two cases have since been taken over by detectives from the anti narcotics unit.