Nairobi — Police have recovered bhang worth an estimated Sh7.2 million after an SUV suspected of transporting the narcotics was involved in a road crash along the Nakuru-Nairobi Highway.

The incident occurred between Shinners Boys and the Mbaruk area after the vehicle crashed while travelling towards Nairobi.

According to preliminary investigations, the driver attempted to overtake another vehicle before losing control of the SUV and colliding with an oncoming Scania trailer.

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The impact caused the Mazda CX-5 to spin and sustain extensive damage to its front section.

However, the driver abandoned the wrecked vehicle and fled from the scene, leaving behind a consignment that police later identified as bhang.

Officers from Nakuru Central Police Station processing the crash scene discovered six sacks containing bhang inside the SUV.

The narcotics weighed approximately 241.5 kilogrammes and had an estimated street value of Sh7,245,000, according to police.

The discovery prompted officers to secure the vehicle and the suspected narcotics as exhibits as investigations into the consignment commenced.

Detectives from the National Anti-Narcotics Investigations Bureau (NANIB) in Nakuru have since taken over the investigation.

Police have launched a manhunt for the driver who abandoned the vehicle following the crash.

The suspect remains at large as detectives work to establish his identity, the source of the bhang and its intended destination.

Investigators are also expected to establish whether the abandoned SUV was being used as part of a wider drug trafficking network.

The vehicle's registration number, KDW 640U, is among the leads being pursued as detectives piece together the circumstances surrounding the transportation of the narcotics.

What initially appeared to be a road accident has consequently opened a drug trafficking investigation, with police now examining the movement of the consignment along the Nakuru-Nairobi route.

The recovery adds to ongoing efforts by law enforcement agencies to intercept narcotics being transported through Kenya's major highways.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations said it remains committed to dismantling drug trafficking networks and bringing those involved in the illicit narcotics trade to justice.

The investigation remains ongoing as detectives pursue the driver and seek to establish the wider network behind the 241.5kg bhang consignment.