Photo: ODPP
Six Iranian nationals have pleaded guilty in a major narcotics case involving more than a tonne of methamphetamine valued at KSh 8.2 billion, delivering a significant win for the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) in Kenya’s war on international drug trafficking.
The six — Jaseem Darzadeh Nia, Nadeem Jadgal, Hassan Baloch, Raheem Baksh, Imran Baloch and Imtiyaz Daryay — admitted to trafficking 1,036 kilograms of methamphetamine before Chief Magistrate Anthony Mwicigi at the Shanzu Law Courts in Mombasa.
According to the prosecution, the offence was committed between October 17 and October 20, 2025, on the high seas at a location approximately 350 nautical miles east of the Port of Mombasa.
The drugs were concealed aboard a stateless vessel named Mashaallah, a method commonly used by transnational criminal networks to evade maritime surveillance and legal jurisdiction.
The accused were arrested on October 25, 2025, following coordinated investigations, and were formally arraigned in court on January 12, 2026.
They were charged under Section 4(a)(ii) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act of 1994, as amended in 2022.
Prosecutors told the court the amendments have enhanced Kenya’s ability to pursue and prosecute large-scale narcotics offences, including those committed on the high seas.
The ODPP applied for a two-week adjournment to organise and present the facts of the case, requesting that the proceedings be conducted on January 30, 2026, at the Kenya Navy base in Mtongwe, where the seized vessel and drug exhibits are being held.
The court also ordered that the six be remanded at Shimo La Tewa Prison pending the hearing.
The case sends a clear signal of Kenya’s determination to dismantle international drug trafficking networks operating through its waters and beyond.