By ANTONY GITONGA and LINAH BENYAWA

Naivasha , Kenya: There was drama in Naivasha town when gun-totting police gave chase to suspected drug traffickers.

Business along Kenyatta Avenue was paralysed as police shot in the air in a bid to stop the fast-fleeing vehicle, which the suspects were in.

Members of the public were forced to flee as the fast speeding vehicle moved from one street to the other before ramming onto a wall.

It was then that the driver managed to escape leaving behind his conductor who was arrested and beaten by members of the public before police came to his rescue.

During the midday incident, the officers managed to recover over 5,000 stones of bhang with a street value of over Sh3 million.

According to a witness, Samuel Waiganjo, drama started in Kayole along the Nairobi-Nakuru highway when the suspects noticed they were being trailed by police officers.

A senior officer who declined to be named said they had being tipped by members of the public about the vehicle, which was ferrying bhang.

The officer said the traffickers had managed to pass several police roadblocks before they were nabbed in Naivasha.

“Our officers were informed of the haul of bhang and started pursuing the suspects before they tried to escape,” he said.

The officer said that the suspect would be arraigned in court facing various charges and thanked members of the public for the tip-off.

Elsewhere, a suspected drug trafficker was yesterday arrested and 300 rolls of bhang recovered in an early morning operation by police in Mombasa.

Mombasa Deputy OCPD Muturi Mbogo said the 5am operation at the Malindi bus terminus was conducted after they received a tip off from members of the public.

“Police acting on a tip off from members of the public arrested one suspect and recovered about 300 rolls of bhang with a street value of Sh60,000,” said Mbogo.

He added that they believe the suspect could be used by suppliers to traffic in the bhang to Malindi and Lamu where it is believed there is a high demand for the drugs.

Kajiado Central OCPD, Mr. Stephen Ng’etich said that the two Tanzanians caught yesterday will be arraigned in court.