Six Iranian nationals have appeared before the Shanzu Law Courts in Mombasa after authorities linked them to a massive drug trafficking operation involving narcotics worth an estimated KSh8.2 billion.
In a statement released on Monday, January 12, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) confirmed that all six suspects pleaded guilty when the court formally read out the charges against them.
The case centers on the seizure of 1,036.044 kilograms of methamphetamine that Kenyan authorities intercepted in October 2025 during a major maritime security operation in the Indian Ocean. Prosecutors presented the charges after concluding a Miscellaneous Application that had allowed investigators to hold the suspects as they finalized their inquiries.
Following the guilty plea, the court ordered that the six Iranian nationals be remanded at Shimo La Tewa GK Prison as they await the reading of facts on January 30, 2026. During that hearing, the prosecution will present detailed evidence before the court moves to the sentencing phase.
The dramatic arrests unfolded during a high-stakes multi-agency maritime operation conducted off the Kenyan coast. Security forces intercepted a stateless dhow in the Indian Ocean, where officers found the six suspects onboard.
A powerful security team made up of the Kenya Navy, Anti-Narcotics Unit, Kenya Coast Guard, National Intelligence Service (NIS), and the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) executed the operation under the code name “Bahari Safi.”
Authorities intercepted the vessel about 630 kilometres east of Mombasa and escorted it to the Port of Mombasa, where officers discovered large sacks containing over 1,024 kilograms of synthetic methamphetamine.
Investigators revealed that the international law-enforcement community had already flagged the vessel for its suspected role in global drug trafficking networks before Kenyan authorities successfully seized it.
The case now returns to court on January 30, 2026, when prosecutors will present the full facts of the case ahead of sentencing, marking the final phase in one of Kenya’s largest maritime drug busts.
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