Suspect Feiswal Mohammed Ali alias Feisal, 58, (left) consults with his lawyer Ms Gathoni Ibrahim at the JKIA law court in Nairobi /KWS
A Nairobi court has granted the state 10 more days to detain two suspects in a high-profile rhino horn trafficking case.
The magistrate also authorised a forensic examination of devices belonging to Feiswal Mohammed Ali (58), alias Feisal, and his associate, Mohammed Hassan Kontoma (75).
The case will now be mentioned on September 9. The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) continues to lead the international probe.
On Thursday, KWS sought an additional 10 days to conclude investigations.
According to investigators, the two were arrested on August 26, 2025, at Mama Ngina Drive, Mombasa County, and two pieces of rhino horn weighing 2.2 kilograms were recovered.
Investigators further told the court that the pair were allegedly seeking a buyer for the trophies at the time of their arrest.
Following their apprehension, the suspects were transferred from Mombasa to Nairobi to face charges at the JKIA Law Courts, which have jurisdiction over cases of transnational organised crime.
During Thursday’s proceedings, KWS told the court that investigations are at an advanced stage, having applied specialised covert techniques.
The prosecution noted that the offences are complex, with a cross-border dimension that requires forensic matching of the seized exhibits against international wildlife crime databases in collaboration with Interpol and other enforcement partners.
Senior Principal Magistrate Njeri Thuku scheduled a ruling on the prosecution’s application to hold the suspects for a further 10 days to allow completion of investigations.
