A Mombasa court has ordered two men accused of trafficking cocaine valued at Sh3,965,723 to remain in custody as investigations into the alleged narcotics offence continue.
Hilton Gocho Chopeta and Mohamed Jabir Ali appeared before Senior Resident Magistrate David Odhiambo on Tuesday and denied charges of conspiracy to traffic narcotic drugs and trafficking in cocaine.
The prosecution alleges that the two men, together with others who are not before the court, conspired to traffic narcotic drugs in Mombasa County between July 15 and 16, 2026.
They are charged under Section 4(b)(4) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act No. 4 of 1994, as amended by the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) (Amendment) Act, 2022.
In separate counts, Chopeta is accused of trafficking 734.9528 grammes of cocaine valued at Sh2,939,811. Ali is charged with trafficking 256.478 grammes of cocaine valued at Sh1,025,912 by allegedly storing the drug.
Principal Prosecution Counsel Barbara Sombo opposed their release on bond, telling the court that the accused were facing serious offences that attract severe penalties and could pose a flight risk.
The prosecution relied on an affidavit sworn by the investigating officer, detailing the circumstances of the suspects’ arrests.
The court heard that Chopeta was arrested at the barrier of Moi International Airport at about 10am on July 15, 2026, while allegedly attempting to travel to Dubai.
Investigators told the court that Chopeta expelled 15 pellets suspected to contain cocaine at the scene before being taken to Port Reitz Hospital, where he expelled an additional 29 pellets. This brought the total number of recovered pellets to 44.
The court further heard that Ali was arrested at about 12.30am on July 16, 2026, while crossing the Likoni ferry channel towards Mombasa Island.
According to the investigating officer, Ali later led detectives to his house in Bombolulu, where he collected keys before taking them to another house in the Bamburi Fisheries area.
Police allegedly recovered 16 pellets suspected to contain cocaine from the premises.
The substances were later weighed and sampled by a Government Analyst, who confirmed that they were cocaine.
The prosecution also informed the court that Ali has another similar case pending before a different court.
The court heard that investigations were still ongoing, including cyber analysis of evidence recovered from the suspects.
Magistrate Odhiambo ordered the preparation of pre-bail reports and directed that the two accused persons remain in custody until August 5, 2026, when they will appear in court again.
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