Six Iranians plead guilty to trafficking meth worth Sh8.2b

Six Iranian nationals have pleaded guilty to trafficking more than a tonne of methamphetamine valued at Sh 8.2 billion, bringing to a dramatic close a high-profile maritime narcotics case that has tested Kenya’s resolve against transnational organised crime.

The six, Jaseem Darzadeh Nia, Nadeem Jadgal, Hassan Baloch, Raheem Baksh, Imran Baloch and Imtiyaz Daryay, entered guilty pleas before Chief Magistrate Anthony Mwicigi at the Shanzu Law Courts after the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) formally charged them with trafficking 1,036 kilograms of methamphetamine on the high seas. 

The offence was committed between October 17 and 20, 2025, at a location approximately 350 nautical miles east of the Port of Mombasa.

According to the prosecution, the narcotics were concealed aboard a stateless vessel named Mashaallah, a tactic commonly used by international drug syndicates to obscure ownership, evade maritime laws and complicate enforcement efforts. The vessel was intercepted following a coordinated security operation, leading to the arrest of the six suspects on October 25, 2025.

The guilty pleas mark a significant milestone in a case that has been under intense investigation for months. When the suspects were first presented in court, prosecutors successfully applied for extended detention, citing the complexity of the probe, the sheer volume of drugs seized, and the international networks believed to be behind the shipment. At the time, authorities disclosed that 769 packages of crystalline substances weighing just over 1,035 kilograms had been recovered.

During the investigation phase, the court authorised the forwarding of samples to the Government Chemist for analysis and allowed forensic examination of the suspects’ mobile phones at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters.

Prosecutors maintained that the case touched on national security and formed part of broader efforts to dismantle transnational drug trafficking routes using the Indian Ocean corridor.

Following completion of investigations, the DPP preferred charges under Section 4(a)(ii) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act, 1994, as amended in 2022—a law that has bolstered Kenya’s capacity to deal with large-scale narcotics offences, including those committed beyond its territorial waters.

In court, the prosecution applied for two weeks to organise and present the facts of the case, requesting that the facts be read on January 30, 2026, at the Kenya Navy base in Mtongwe, where the seized vessel and bulky exhibits are currently held. The court was also asked to remand the accused at Shimo La Tewa Prison pending the reading of facts and sentencing.