BARBER HELD OVER 1M ST HELENA POUND DRUGS HAUL

Nairobi

A man who allegedly masquerades as a barber by day and turns into a big
time drug dealer by night was yesterday arrested in Mombasa with cocaine
worth over Sh1 million.

Police acting on a tip-off raided a residential house in Mtopanga, North
Coast, and arrested the barber as he was stashing away money under a carpet.

The activities of the bogus barber were exposed by an anti-drug lobby
group, Youth Against Drugs and Child Abuse (Yacada), who called the police.

Coast Provincial police boss, Mr Alex Rono, confirmed the arrest.

Money believed to be proceeds from the sale of drugs was also recovered
from him. The cash was 25,340 St Helena pounds in coins and notes.

Small containers, a pair of scissors and special paper used for packing the
cocaine in sachets, a mobile phone and miraa (khat) were among the items
recovered.

Yacada official, Sheikh Mohamed, said the suspect was acting as an agent
for a woman trafficker. The woman is said to be working in cohorts with
Senegalese, Tanzanian and Nigerian nationals in the supply of an assortment
of drugs .

The arrest comes hardly a day after regular police backed by the General
Service Unit raided Shimanzi industrial area go-downs and arrested 100
suspected drug peddlers.

Rono thanked members of the public for volunteering information that led to
the arrest.

He said police were still carrying out investigations and that the suspect
would soon be charged in court.

"Any information passed on to us will be treated in confidence," Rono said.

The police boss re-affirmed that the war against drug dealers had been
intensified, adding that Mombasa had gained notoriety as a conduit for drugs.

"We all know the dangers of these illicit drugs and what they can do to
one's well-being," the police boss said.

Rono was accompanied by his deputy, Mr John Mbijiwe, Provincial Criminal
Investigation officer, Mr Stanley Kinuthia and Mombasa police officer
in-charge of operations, Kariuki Njenga.