Some of the hundreds of bags containing a substance awaiting
verification by anti-narcotics officers in the port of Mombasa after the
ship MV Al Noor was intercepted by the Kenya Navy in July. PHOTO |
LABAN WALLOGA | NATION MEDIA GROUP
By Njeri Rugene, Eunice Machihi and Mwakera mwajefa
In Summary
Preparations for destruction of the Sh1.3 billion
heroin haul seized in July in the high seas were on Friday afternoon
underway in Mombasa.
President Uhuru Kenyatta was expected to arrive to supervise
the destruction of the drugs and the ship that had been carrying them,
even as the High Court Friday declined to grant orders to destroy the
vessel.
The office of the Public Prosecution had made an
application for its destruction and put up a spirited fight on Friday,
citing various reasons.
Mombasa judge Lady Justice Maureen Odero declined
to issue the orders, saying she did not want to interfere with the
ruling of a lower court, which had directed that only the drugs be
destroyed.
On Friday afternoon, the heroin had already been
packed in the ship MV Al Noor, which was to be detonated and sunk in the
high seas.
The heroin haul set for destruction was a total of
370.8 kilogrammes. The initial amount was 373.8 kilogrammes, with 3kg
having been taken to the Government Chemist for further an analysis and
use in the court.
Security officers first packed the drugs inside the ship after the vessel was fixed with detonators to destroy it.
National Authority for Campaign against Alcohol and
Drug Abuse (Nacada) boss John Mututho gave an assurance that the
sinking of the ship and its deadly contents would not be a health
hazard.
"It will be reduced to nothing. There will be no hazard," he said.
Mombasa County Commissioner Nelson Marwa said the
destruction of the ship would send a strong message that Kenya will deal
ruthlessly with drug barons and their agents.
"We have to tell the world about the negative
effects of drugs. If this amount of heroin had been released into
Mombasa, all the youth would be zombies by now,” he told journalists at a
briefing after the drug was repacked into the vessel.
Mr Mututho warned drug dealers that the law would
be implemented to the letter and those found guilty will have all their
property seized.
He also asked police to ensure they seize and
forfeit to the State vehicles whose owners have been sentenced after
they are caught with any form of narcotics.
The destruction will be done 18 nautical miles from
the port of Mombasa in an area where maritime experts are allowed to do
such an exercise
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