Category: Society

A suspected drug trafficker has been arrested and a substantial haul of suspected narcotics seized in an intelligence-led operation by the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (Nacada) in Mwala subcounty, Machakos county.

The operation was conducted in the early hours of Tuesday at a homestead in Mbiuni, where officers raided premises belonging to a 31-year-old male suspect following intelligence reports.

Nacada said a thorough search of the homestead led to the discovery of several quantities of dry plant material suspected to be cannabis, alongside hundreds of small rolls containing substances believed to be narcotic drugs.

Among the exhibits recovered were 85 brooms of dry plant material suspected to be bhang and 700 small brownish rolls containing suspected narcotics.

"Specifically, the team confiscated 300 small brownish rolls and another 400 similar rolls containing the suspected narcotics," Nacada said in a statement.

Officers also recovered 16 nylon papers containing dry plant material, 73 white Top Whistler papers and 44 brown Whistler papers, as well as a pair of scissors.

The Whistler papers are suspected to have been used as packaging materials.

The suspect was arrested at the scene, while all the recovered exhibits were seized and secured in safe custody.

He was subsequently escorted to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) police station for further processing as investigations into the suspected drug trafficking activities continue.

Speaking after the operation, Nacada chief executive officer Anthony Omerikwa commended the officers for their vigilance and swift action, reaffirming the authority's commitment to dismantling drug distribution networks across the country.

He said the operation demonstrated the importance of intelligence sharing and cooperation among security agencies in tackling drug trafficking.

"This operation demonstrates the effectiveness of collaborative intelligence and the unwavering resolve of the multi-agency security team to rid our communities of harmful substances," he said.

Omerikwa warned that the authority would sustain its crackdown on drug traffickers, urging communities to support efforts to identify and disrupt illicit drug networks.

"We are sending a clear message that there is no safe haven for drug peddlers in Kenya. Nacada will continue to work closely with the community to ensure that those who seek to profit from the destruction of our youth face the full force of the law," he said.

The suspect is expected to remain in custody as Nacada and police officers conclude investigations ahead of his arraignment in court.

The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) says it will investigate whether parts of a jet that crashed in Florida broke off before it nose-dived and exploded, killing all nine people on board.

The Learjet 60, which was travelling from Austin, Texas to the Bahamas on Sunday, crashed on a street nine miles (14 km) from President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort.

A tech entrepreneur and his young family, as well as the 20-year-old copilot, were among those who died.

The NTSB said on Monday that it would also investigate to what extent ice and turbulence may have been contributing factors.

It confirmed that, after the jet took off from Austin, the crew transmitted to air traffic control that they were encountering ice and moderate turbulence.

"We are picking up precipitation, requesting to climb to 37,000 feet if able," the crew said.

NTSB member Tom Chapman said that less than 30 seconds later, the plane began to descend and the crew issued a mayday call.

The transmission then became "unintelligible", he said, adding that: "Sadly, all aboard were lost."

The NTSB said that ice and turbulence were factors in the crash but that determining its probable cause will be a "lengthy investigatory process".

Thunderstorms had been reported in the area at the time.

Officials are also trying to find out whether a cockpit voice recorder was on board at the time of the crash and if it can be recovered.

As part of the investigation, the NTSB is working with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), representatives from Learjet as well as meteorologists and air traffic control experts.

Recovering the wreckage from the crater on the roadway will be a "daunting challenge", said Timothy Monville, an air safety investigator with the safety board.

Flight analysis indicates the jet was plummeting hundreds of feet per second before crashing.

In air traffic control audio, a crew member can be heard declaring an emergency, shouting "we are in an overspeed condition descending 20,000ft per minute", before saying, "we are going to crash into the ground".

About 35 seconds after the initial mayday announcement, the last remark from the cockpit appears to be "we're out of time".

The seven people killed who were travelling as passengers were identified in a joint statement from their families as tech entrepreneur Adam Robinson, his wife Helen Sharp, and their two children – Emma and Charlie – as well as Rachael Reed, Charmi Fehr and Anita Maria Cetina.

The pilot was named in media reports as Jeffery Gregory, while Nathalia Filgueiras, who earned her pilot's licence when she was 17, was reported to be the copilot.

As well as those killed, one man on the ground sustained a leg injury when the plane nosedived onto the street.

The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office said the crash happened on Military Trail, a six-lane road lined with businesses and restaurants.

Images from the crash scene show a large fiery crater in the middle of a residential suburban street.

The debris was scattered across sports fields, businesses and homes in the area, officials told a news conference on Monday, possible evidence that the plane broke up before it hit the ground.

Unverified footage posted on social media shows what appears to be a dash-camera recording of the moment of the crash.

Trump was at Mar-a-Lago on Sunday morning, and departed from an airport nearby on Air Force One about an hour before the crash.

Detectives in Kiambu county are investigating the murder of an 80-year-old woman whose house was set ablaze in Itukarwa village, Kiganjo location, Gatundu South subcounty.

The deceased, Milkah Njuguna, was allegedly strangled before her three-room semi-permanent house was burnt down in an incident reported on November 1.

According to police, locals alerted police about the fire at around 4:30am.

Police visited the scene and established that the elderly woman had been murdered.

Preliminary investigations indicate that Njuguna, who lived alone, had been served supper by her daughter at around 7pm on Saturday, October 31, as was her usual routine.

Her body was later discovered about 100 metres from her house, down a slope on her land.

The body had been tied on both hands and legs using a bedsheet, with visible injuries reported around the neck, raising suspicions that she had been attacked before the house was set on fire.

The three-room house was completely reduced to ashes, with household belongings of unknown value destroyed in the blaze.

Detectives processed and documented the scene as part of investigations.

The body was subsequently moved to Gatundu Level Five Hospital mortuary for a postmortem examination.

Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the killing and the subsequent burning of the house.

The motive of the incident was not established, police said on Tuesday amid investigations.

And police in Nairobi are investigating the suspected murder of a 40-year-old man whose body was found lying by the roadside in Kisumu Ndogo, Korogocho, on Sunday morning.

The deceased was identified as Harron Ondiek, whose body was discovered by members of the public at around 8am on November 1.

The deceased had a visible injury at the back of his head, raising suspicion that he may have been assaulted before his death.

The body was subsequently moved to Mama Margaret Mortuary, where it was preserved pending a postmortem examination to establish the cause of death.

Police have launched investigations into the circumstances surrounding the incident.