Police have arrested three suspected drug barons in an ongoing operation against drugs and illegal firearms in the Coast region.
Confirming the incident, Coast Regional Coordinator Nelson Marwa said two of the three suspects, Fizal Shee and Varazina Mohamed were arrested in Lamu, while the third suspect was nabbed in Mombasa.
Another suspected drug baron, who is said to be Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho's ally, was also nabbed in Mombasa.
According to Marwa, police recovered four firearms from the suspect’s house.
Marwa accused Joho of interfering with the ongoing operation by storming the police station, adding that Joho was not under arrest as he had originally claimed.
“Joho sent short messages that he had been arrested only to create acrimony, tension, conflict, sympathy and the ‘we' feeling,” said Marwa, as quoted by The Star.
“Why was the governor so determined to rescue a drug baron who was in possession of more than three guns? What was the big agenda?” he added.
The regional coordinator also said that a warrant of arrest had been issued for Mohamed Shee and Moto Shee who are linked to cartels in Malindi, Mombasa and Diani.