A case involving the seizure of more than one tonne of methamphetamine valued at over Sh8.2 billion has moved a step closer to determination after prosecutors closed their case against six Iranian nationals accused of transporting the drugs through Kenyan waters.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions concluded its evidence before the Shanzu Chief Magistrate's Court after presenting 12 witnesses, with the investigating officer, Inspector Shadrack Kemei from the Anti-Narcotics Unit, becoming the final witness to testify.
Inspector Kemei told the court that the investigation was launched on October 19, 2025, following intelligence reports that the Kenya Navy had intercepted a suspicious vessel believed to be involved in drug trafficking.
“The following day, the Navy confirmed the interception of the vessel, identified as a ‘dark vessel’ for allegedly operating without an Automatic Identification System (AIS), before escorting it to Kenyan waters,” the ODPP said in a statement.
According to the testimony, investigators later secured warrants from the Mombasa Law Courts on October 24, 2025, authorising officers to board the vessel, conduct searches and seize any items connected to the inquiry.
The court heard that detectives from the Anti-Narcotics Unit, working alongside officers from the Kenya Navy and the Kenya Coast Guard Service, boarded the vessel and served the search warrant on its captain, Jaseem Darzadeh Nia.
A preliminary search led to the discovery of two packets containing a white crystalline substance. Tests conducted at the scene indicated that the substance was methamphetamine with a purity level estimated at about 98 per cent.
That finding prompted investigators to carry out a more thorough search after the vessel was taken to the Kenya Navy's Mtongwe Jetty.
“The subsequent operation uncovered 769 packets of methamphetamine concealed within six of the vessel's seven compartments,” the ODPP added.
Authorities confiscated both the drugs and the vessel before arresting six crew members. They were identified as Jaseem Darzadeh Nia, Nadeem Jadgal, Hassan Baloch, Raheem Baksh, Imran Baloch and Imtiyaz Daryay.
The prosecution further told the court that officers recovered five mobile phones and four SIM cards during the operation. The items were later examined at the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit Cyber Forensics Laboratory.
Evidence presented during the hearing showed that a government-supervised weighing exercise determined the narcotics weighed 1,036.044 kilogrammes and had an estimated street value of Sh8,288,352,000.
Investigators also testified that the accused allegedly informed authorities that the shipment had originated from Pozm Port in Iran and was intended for Mauritius.
The court was further told that the Kenya Maritime Authority established that the vessel lacked registration documents, meaning it was considered stateless.
In addition, a report produced by the Government Chemist confirmed that the substance recovered from the vessel was methamphetamine.
The six accused persons face charges of trafficking narcotic drugs contrary to the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act.
According to the prosecution, the alleged offence occurred between October 17 and October 20, 2025, on the high seas about 350 nautical miles east of the Port of Mombasa.
With the prosecution now having presented all its witnesses, Shanzu Chief Magistrate Anthony Mwicigi directed both sides to file written submissions within 14 days.
The matter will be mentioned on July 13, 2026, to confirm compliance with the court's directions and to set a date for a ruling on whether the six accused persons will be required to enter their defence.