This archive report was first published on 13 August 2019.
On Monday, a crackdown on the narcotics trade in Kenya led to the arrest of 17 individuals, including Ahmed Salama, the MCA of Likoni's Bofu Ward, who is expected to be arraigned in court on Tuesday.
Salama's arrest is part of a larger investigation into drug trafficking in Mombasa, which has been ongoing since the national government launched a crackdown on Sunday.
Police officers also raided the home of Mombasa tycoon Ali Punjani in Nyali on Monday, and are expected to continue searching for evidence on Tuesday.
Punjani, a close associate of the Akasha family, is currently in India, where he was diagnosed with a heart complication last month.
Two Akasha brothers, Baktash Akasha and Ibrahim Akasha, pleaded guilty to six counts of drug trafficking in a US court in October 2018.
The sentencing of the two brothers was postponed in July, with Baktash Akasha's sentencing set for August 16, 2019, and Ibrahim Akasha's sentencing set for November 8, 2019.
Mombasa County Police Commander Johnstone Ipara has issued a directive for Punjani to surrender to the police, citing suspicions that Punjani may be involved in drug trafficking.
