Behind the brick walls of a quiet compound in Mwabungo village, a secret drug operation was silently poisoning Kenyan communities.
Now, that operation has been exposed. Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have arrested a 37-year-old Italian man believed to be the mastermind of a narcotics lab hidden inside a secluded one-acre farm in Ukunda.
Acting on intelligence gathered after days of surveillance, the Anti-Narcotics Unit raided the property and uncovered chemicals, drug-making tools, and even a mini cannabis farm, pulling back the curtain on an international web of drug crime.
Surveillance Leads to Bust of Ukunda Drug Lab
Detectives say they had been quietly watching the compound in Mwabungo for several days before they moved in. Tipped off about strange activity and security reinforcements on the property, officers from the Anti-Narcotics Unit teamed up with local police to monitor movement in and out of the house.
The raid, conducted early in the morning, revealed what authorities described as a “high-end drug lab” hidden behind tall brick walls and a heavily secured gate. Inside the compound, officers found laboratory-grade chemicals, drug packaging materials, and multiple pieces of equipment suspected to be used in the manufacturing of narcotics.
According to a statement by the DCI, the Italian man was arrested at the scene alongside a Kenyan accomplice. The two were immediately placed under arrest and are currently in police custody, awaiting court charges.
One of the more chilling discoveries was a section of the property being used to grow what appeared to be cannabis. Photos released by the DCI showed rows of plants growing in a cultivated area of the farm, confirming that the operation extended beyond just manufacturing and into farming of illegal substances.
Sophisticated Operation Hidden in Plain Sight
The sophistication of the Ukunda drug lab has raised eyebrows among investigators.
Photos released by the authorities show a seemingly ordinary compound with no outward signs of criminal activity. But inside, officers found chemicals labeled with the names of known synthetic narcotics and piles of packaging materials ready for distribution.
The lab setup itself included a series of flasks, burners, and chemical storage containers—tools not typically found in an ordinary home. Experts from the Anti-Narcotics Unit suspect the facility was capable of producing high quantities of synthetic drugs for both local and international markets.
What’s more disturbing is that this is not an isolated case. Just months earlier, in September 2024, detectives busted another drug facility being set up in Kajiado County, just off the Nairobi-Namanga Highway.
There, authorities raided a 10-acre property where they discovered two large iron sheet structures—one acting as a lab and the other as a chemical store and living quarters. That operation led to the arrest of three Kenyans, two Nigerians, and a Mexican national. Two other Mexican suspects managed to escape and remain on the run.
Drug Networks Growing Across Kenya
The Ukunda drug lab is just the latest example of how foreign-led criminal networks are embedding themselves into Kenyan communities.
According to the DCI, the operations in both Ukunda and Kajiado may be linked to a larger international drug syndicate spanning Nigeria, India, Mexico, South Africa, and Gabon. These foreign-run drug labs are not only producing narcotics but also using Kenyan territory as a transit hub for global distribution.
The National Police Service has promised swift action. “We are committed to dismantling these drug networks and protecting our communities,” said a statement released following the Ukunda raid.
But for many locals in Kwale County and beyond, the discovery of a drug farm in their own backyard has been a sobering wake-up call. It exposes the quiet but dangerous spread of organized crime in rural and urban Kenya.
Community leaders and anti-drug organizations have since renewed calls for stricter monitoring of foreign-owned properties and more investment in intelligence gathering.
The two suspects from Ukunda are expected to be charged in court this week. Authorities are also investigating whether other accomplices may have been involved in setting up or protecting the secret lab.
