Police officers in liaison with officials from the Nation Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) raided two residential houses and shisha dens in Nyali, Mombasa County on Saturday night.

In the crackdown against shisha joints in the country, about 45 people were arrested and detained at the local police station.

Police also recovered shisha pots and ingredients used to make the drug among other items from the houses, which were seized as evidence. 

Officials from NACADA revealed that the officers acted on intelligence reports before pouncing on the suspects.

All suspects arrested including the manager and proprietor of the raided dens will be arraigned in court on Monday.

NACADA CEO Anthony Omerikwa while addressing the media called upon Kenyans illegally selling the commodity to stop before the law catches up with them.

"As a multi-agency, we will not relent in ensuring that the law is fully enforced. We will ensure that alcohol and drug abuse is eradicated in the country," he stated.

Omerikwa complained that such establishments and hideouts introduced the youth to drug abuse, disorienting their lives.

He reiterated that the crackdown shall not stop until all operators selling shisha are charged and sentenced. He vowed to end the drug menace in the country.

NACADA has recently launched a crackdown on dens illegally selling shisha to the public after banning the drug in 2017.

Last week, several journalists were injured during a raid at a nightclub in Nairobi. Police arrested club managers for presiding over the selling of shisha to the public.