A Mombasa court has granted the state 30 days to continue holding six Iranians arrested last week in connection with a record-breaking Sh8.2 billion drug haul off the Kenyan Coast.
The six — Imtiyaz Daryayi, Rahim Baksh, Nadeem Jadgal, Jasem Darzadeh Nia, Imran Baloch and Hassan Baloch — appeared before Shanzu Law Courts Chief magistrate Anthony Mwicigi on Tuesday morning.
They were not charged after the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) applied for more time to allow investigators to complete investigations into the seizure, which has been described as the largest narcotics bust in Kenya’s history.
Chief magistrate Mwicigi granted the application, allowing police to detain the suspects at the Mombasa Port police station for 30 days.
According to a Government Chemist’s report, the seized substance has been confirmed to be methamphetamine, with a purity level of 98 per cent.
The DPP also sought court orders to detain and forensically analyse several mobile and satellite phones recovered from the suspects, which they allegedly used to communicate with unknown persons.
Lead investigator Shadrack Kemei told the court that intelligence from the Kenya Navy on October 19 led to the interception of a “dark vessel” in the high seas, suspected to be transporting narcotics.
“The vessel arrived at the Kilindini Port under naval escort on October 24. Upon a search, officers recovered 769 packages of crystalline substances weighing 1,035.986kgs, believed to be synthetic drugs,” Kemei said in a sworn affidavit.
He added that two of the suspects lacked identification documents and that investigators believe the group is part of a larger transnational organised crime network.
Information retrieved from their devices, he said, could help trace additional suspects.
The prosecution also opposed any bond application, arguing the suspects are flight risks with no fixed residence in Kenya.
If convicted, the six face a possible life sentence.
The methamphetamine haul, valued at Sh8.2 billion, surpasses the 2004 Sh6 billion cocaine seizure in Malindi, making it the biggest drug bust in Kenya’s history.
Authorities said the intercepted vessel was stateless, making it difficult to determine its origin or destination.
It was seized approximately 630km east of Mombasa.
Kenya continues to grapple with a growing synthetic drug crisis, particularly along the Coast, where methamphetamine and heroin abuse remain rampant among the youth.
INSTANT ANALYSIS
The arrest of six Iranian nationals and seizure of Sh8.2 billion worth of methamphetamine marks Kenya’s largest-ever narcotics bust and a major victory in the country’s war on drugs. The operation, led by the Kenya Navy and security agencies, underscores the growing threat of transnational crime exploiting Kenya’s coastline as a trafficking route.
