Police have arrested two suspects for running a secret drug den in Mwabungo village in Ukunda.

According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, the arrest follows days of discreet surveillance from officers from various units.

"Detectives have uncovered a secret narcotics lab tucked away in a quiet neighborhood of Mwabungo village, Ukunda, a place more often associated with serene beaches than crime, " said the DCI in a statement.

"After days of discreet surveillance and intelligence gathering, a team from the Anti-Narcotics Unit and Kenya Police carried out a well-coordinated raid on a secluded one-acre compound."

Police say they arrested two individuals; Gianardi Giulio, a 37-year-old Italian national, and Moses Nanoka Egadwa.

The team recovered lab equipment and chemicals suspected to be used in the manufacture of drugs, as well as packaging materials clearly marked with names of known narcotics.

Further searches revealed sections of the compound being used to cultivate what is believed to be cannabis, adding to the growing list of evidence pointing to long-term illegal activity.

The suspects are now in custody and awaiting formal charges in court.

Meanwhile, police in Busia have arrested two suspects for trafficking cannabis sativa in the area and its environs.

Officers intercepted a motorcycle bearing the registration number KMEY 867L, with its rider 50-year-old Alfred Ouma Mapesa, where upon search, a gunny bag containing 24 kilograms of cannabis sativa was recovered.

"Upon interrogation, Mapesa didn't hold back, he revealed his accomplice in this illegal trade, 41-year-old Frederick Egesa Wafula," said the DCI.