A 20-year-old man and a teenage TikTok content creator have been charged with trafficking heroin valued at over Ksh.300,000 in Mombasa, in a case prosecutors say highlights the growing involvement of young people in narcotics networks.
According to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), Amir Latif was arraigned alongside a 17-year-old female TikToker after authorities recovered 109.17 grams of heroin estimated to be worth Ksh.327,510.
The two appeared before Green Odera, where they faced charges under Section 4(a)(ii) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act.
Both accused persons pleaded not guilty.
Principal Prosecution Counsel Purity Musembi urged the court to impose stringent bond terms, citing the gravity of drug trafficking offences and the need to safeguard the public from the dangers posed by illegal narcotics.
The court granted Latif a bond of Ksh.1 million with a surety of a similar amount. He was also ordered to surrender his passport and barred from leaving the court’s jurisdiction until the case is heard and determined.
Bond was denied for the minor after an age assessment confirmed she is 17. She was remanded at Likoni Children’s Remand Home and will be placed under the supervision of the Children’s Department for correction and rehabilitation.
A social inquiry report presented in court indicated the teenager had been living with Latif after leaving her parents’ home three years ago.
Pretrial proceedings are scheduled for March 17, 2026, as the prosecution signals a firm stance against narcotics trafficking in coastal Kenya.