Police at Malaba station in Teso North, Busia County, have intercepted 18kgs of bhang and 10 litres of chang’aa which were being ferried to Kayole in Nairobi from Uganda.

The Wednesday operation also saw three women arrested as detectives confiscated the drugs.

Confirming the incident, Teso North OCPD Joseph Matiku said they were tipped off by members of the public regarding the trio who looked suspicious.

"At around 1pm, officers got a tip-off that there was a matatu transporting bhang and they responded swiftly and managed to intercept one matatu from Eldoret Shuttle Sacco," said Matiku.

"They searched and found around 18 stones of suspected bhang and 10 litres of chang’aa."

The three, who included an elderly woman said to be the mastermind of the deal and two middle-aged men, were found in possession of the substances and are now helping the police with further investigations.

The move comes months after the nation intensified the fight against illicit brew and substance abuse.

OCPD Matiko reaffirmed the police service’s commitment to heightening drug trafficking saying the government will be inspecting all vehicles accessing the border.

"We are on high alert and we are searching each and every vehicle to ensure nothing illegal is transported through our roads. We always have a scanner on the border points but we search because of those who use other illegal entry points," he noted.

"Going forward, all vehicles from Malaba will be inspected regularly to mitigate the smuggling practice that has been rampant."