Traffickers Of Cannabis Use Ambulances, Hearses, and Luxury Cars as Smuggling Vehicles – NCRC Report
A new report from the National Crime Research Centre (NCRC) has unveiled an unexpected method used by drug traffickers in Kenya: government cars, ambulances, hearses, and luxury vehicles like Land Cruisers and Range Rovers are reportedly being utilized to transport cannabis across the country. According to the report, dated Monday, November 11, traffickers are relying on a wide range of vehicles, aiming to evade law enforcement and blend into routine traffic.
“It’s a sophisticated system,” noted the report, adding that traffickers strategically switch between different types of vehicles based on location and need. Beyond luxury vehicles, the range includes Toyota Proboxes, buses, matatus, rental cars, cargo trucks, and even light aircraft. The traffickers also go as far as using motorcycles, hand carts (locally known as mkokoteni), bicycles, and donkey carts to navigate areas where larger vehicles might attract suspicion.
The report mapped 19 primary routes used by traffickers, primarily categorized into Ethiopian, Tanzanian, and Ugandan pathways, with major urban centers like Nairobi and Mombasa acting as distribution hubs. To evade detection, traffickers modify their routes frequently, using hidden paths or “panya routes” along major roads, lakes, and forests, and often disguising their shipments within everyday commodities.
Cannabis is frequently concealed among second-hand clothes, vehicle spare parts, and within everyday produce like cereals, bread, or crates of fish. In some instances, fruits such as watermelons and pineapples serve as unexpected storage containers for the drug. Additionally, improvised compartments in vehicles and strong-smelling sprays like perfumes and air fresheners help traffickers avoid detection by masking the distinct smell of cannabis.
The report highlights a range of unlikely individuals involved in the transport of these drugs, including security guards, school-going children, street vendors, and even pregnant women, underscoring the lengths traffickers go to remain unnoticed.
In addition to traditional smoking, the report notes that Kenyans are finding new ways to consume cannabis, integrating it into baked goods like cookies, samosas, and biscuits. Some users are even brewing cannabis tea, making “weed juice,” and adding cannabis to homemade sweets and chocolates.
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Traffickers Of Cannabis Use Ambulances, Hearses, and Luxury Cars as Smuggling Vehicles – NCRC Report
