A Shanzu court has allowed authorities to continue holding six Iranian nationals for an additional 21 days as police deepen investigations into an international drug trafficking operation.
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) requested the extension, emphasizing the need to secure crucial evidence before formally proceeding with charges.
During the court session on Friday, prosecutors explained that investigators are following key leads that could strengthen the case before submitting it to the DPP.
The accused—Jasem Darzaen Nia, Nadeem Jadgai, Imran Baloch, Hassan Baloch, Rahim Baksh, and Imtiyaz Daryayi—were reportedly intercepted in the Indian Ocean carrying methamphetamine estimated at Sh8.2 billion.
Police allege the suspects are members of a sophisticated cartel that moves synthetic drugs through maritime routes. The Anti-Narcotics Unit recovered seven electronic devices, including a GPS tracker, believed to contain information on the shipment’s source, intended routes, and financiers.
The prosecution warned that releasing the suspects prematurely could undermine a coordinated, multiagency investigation involving sensitive digital data and cross-border links.
The six have been in custody for three weeks following the operation that led to the seizure of 769 packages of crystalline substances suspected to be synthetic narcotics, weighing a total of 1,035.986 kilograms.
Previously, the court instructed investigators to forward the seized substances to the Government Chemist for analysis and to submit the suspects’ phones for forensic examination at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations headquarters.
They face charges of trafficking narcotic drugs under Section 4(a)(ii) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act of 1994.
