Court orders detention of six Iranians in Sh8.2 billion narcotics case
The vessel was intercepted on October 19 after intelligence reports indicated it was operating without proper identification and carrying illegal substances.
A Mombasa court has ordered six Iranian nationals to remain in police custody for 30 more days as investigations continue into a massive drug trafficking case involving narcotics valued at Sh8.2 billion.
The six, Jasem Darzadeh Nianadeem Jadgal, Imran Baloch, Hassan Baloch, Rahim Baksh, and Imtiyaz Daryayi, were arrested after security agencies intercepted a vessel in the Indian Ocean suspected of transporting narcotics into the country.
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Investigators told the court that the foreign nationals were arrested on October 24, 2025, after the Kenya Navy escorted the suspicious vessel, referred to as a dark vessel, to the Kilindini Port in Mombasa.
The vessel was intercepted on October 19 after intelligence reports indicated it was operating without proper identification and carrying illegal substances.
Upon conducting a search, officers recovered 769 packages of crystalline substances suspected to be synthetic narcotic drugs weighing over 1,035 kilogrammes. The drugs were found concealed in various compartments within the ship’s deck.
In an affidavit filed by Inspector Shadrack Kemei, the investigating officer attached to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the court heard that preliminary investigations suggest the suspects could be part of a wider transnational drug trafficking network.
“The suspects are foreigners with no fixed place of abode and pose a flight risk. There is a likelihood that they may abscond if released on bail,” Kemei stated in his affidavit.
He added that several electronic devices, including mobile phones and a satellite phone, were seized from the suspects during the arrest and will undergo forensic examination. Police believe data extracted from the devices could help uncover other individuals involved in the drug trafficking ring.
Among the items recovered were five mobile phones, a Thuraya satellite phone, and a GPS device. Investigators have sought court orders to retain the gadgets and compel the suspects to provide unlock codes to allow forensic experts to access the data.
The prosecution also requested additional time to work with the Immigration Department to confirm the identities of all six suspects, noting that two of them did not have identification documents at the time of their arrest.
Kemei further told the court that interpreters would be required to facilitate interrogations, given that the suspects do not speak English or Swahili fluently.
The narcotics will be forwarded to the Government Chemist for analysis to confirm their nature and composition.
The investigating officer argued that the complexity of the case, the involvement of multiple agencies, and the transnational nature of the crime required more time to complete investigations.
The court granted the prosecution’s request, directing that the suspects remain in custody at Port Police Station for 30 days to allow investigators to conclude their work.
If found guilty, the suspects could face life imprisonment under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act of 1994.
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