One killed as suspected drug trafficker flees police chase on Malaba-Webuye road
A boda boda rider was killed after a vehicle suspected of transporting narcotic drugs collided with his motorcycle during a police chase along the Malaba-Webuye road.
The rider, identified as Muzungu Munialo, sustained fatal injuries when a white Mazda CX-5, registration number KDY 338F, rammed into his red TVS motorcycle, registration number KMFV 109F.
The accident occurred after the driver of the Mazda allegedly attempted to escape from detectives who had laid an ambush along the highway following intelligence that the vehicle was being used to transport narcotic drugs.
According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), detectives from the National Anti-Narcotics Investigations Bureau (NANIB), Bungoma, working jointly with officers from DCI Webuye West, had mounted the operation targeting the suspected drug-trafficking vehicle.
The detectives spotted the Mazda and attempted to intercept it, but the driver reportedly noticed their presence and sped off, prompting a pursuit that ended in the fatal collision.
Following the crash, the driver abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene, leaving the boda boda rider dead.
Traffic officers processed the accident scene before detectives moved in to search the Mazda, where they discovered suspected narcotic drugs.
The vehicle was subsequently towed to the police station for a comprehensive search, which led to the recovery of 162 bales of cannabis weighing 170.8 kilogrammes.
The drugs, which were wrapped in yellow cellotape, have an estimated street value of Ksh5,124,000, according to the DCI.
Detectives also recovered a second number plate, registration number KF2 8588, from the back seat of the vehicle. Investigators suspect the plate was intended to conceal the vehicle’s identity during transportation of the drugs.
The vehicle and the seized narcotics have since been handed over to NANIB Bungoma for further investigations.
Meanwhile, the DCI has expressed condolences to Munialo’s family, friends and relatives following his death.
The agency said detectives were pursuing the driver who escaped after the crash, as they sought to establish the wider network behind the suspected drug-trafficking operation.
The latest incident comes amid continued efforts by security agencies to combat drug trafficking and disrupt networks involved in the distribution of illegal substances.
The DCI maintained that it would continue pursuing the fleeing driver to ensure that justice was served.
