Six Iranian citizens being detained at the Kilindini Port in Mombasa on drug trafficking suspicion of narcotics valued at Sh8 billion will be detained for the next 30 days by the police as investigations continue.
The directive was made by Shanzu Chief Magistrate Antony Mwicigi, who issued an application by Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to detain the suspects at the Port Police Station in custody for further inquiries.
The magistrate also directed the drugs that were confiscated to be delivered to the Government Chemist to establish their chemical content, while the suspects’ phone will be seized for forensic examination at the DCI headquarters in Nairobi.
The court’s ruling came after a previous hearing when police stalled proceedings while making an objection about the interpreter who was to assist translate between the Iranians and the investigators.
Magistrate Mwicigi further ordered the six suspects to be produced for treatment by the State. The case will be mentioned on November 14 to find out their state of health and investigation progress.
The court documents indicate that the six men are accused of trafficking in narcotic drugs, contrary to Section 4(a)(ii) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act, 1994.
Prosecutors briefed the court that the case involves very serious cross-border crime and quoted the need for an aggressive investigation to safeguard national security and close international drug networks operating in the region.
The arrests followed a dramatic swoop on Saturday, October 26, when a vessel bringing the six Iranians aboard was seized about 630 kilometres off the coast of Mombasa.
The multi-agency unit comprising officers from the DCI, Kenya Navy, Kenya Coast Guard, and NACADA moved in after being alerted by regional and foreign partners about a suspect vessel operating in the Western Indian Ocean.
The ship, described as stateless and flying no national flag, was escorted into Kilindini Port under close security.
Once the ship docked, investigators obtained a court warrant to search the cargo. During the exercise, officers found 769 parcels of methamphetamine worth Sh8.2 billion on the street one of Kenya’s largest drug seizures in recent history.
DCI Director Mohamed Amin clarified that the investigators are now occupied attempting to figure out where the drugs originated and were destined for.
“It’s a bit early yet to figure out precisely where the shipment was going, but it certainly was headed for somewhere within this region,” Amin clarified. “The vessel was stateless, meaning it did not belong to any nation, which makes the case a bit more complicated.”
Following the bust, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said the drugs to be confiscated would be publicly destroyed, indicating that the government is keen on sending a clear and loud signal about its stand on drug trafficking.
“This is not going to be a statement this is going to be a demonstration of our zero tolerance for drugs that are killing our youth,” Murkomen added.
The seizure is hailed as a milestone victory for Kenya’s battle against international cartels that have used the country’s shoreline as a conduit point over the past decades.
As the investigation into the case is ongoing, the attention is now turned to uncovering the global networks behind the Sh8 billion shipment and if additional suspects are to be linked to the operation in the coming weeks.