In one of Kenya’s largest maritime drug seizures to date, six Iranian nationals were hauled before the Shanzu Law Courts on Monday after authorities intercepted a vessel carrying synthetic narcotics valued at a staggering KSh 8 billion.
The suspects — Jasem Darzadeh Nia, Nadeem Jadgal, Imran Baloch, Hassan Baloch, Rahim Baksh, and Imtiyaz Daryayi — are accused of masterminding a high-seas drug trafficking operation stretching across the Indian Ocean.
The Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) confirmed that the six were arrested on October 24, 2025, during a joint sting operation at Kilindini Port. The bust followed a tip-off from the Kenya Navy, which had been tracking a suspicious “dark vessel” — a ship operating without proper identification — roughly 630 kilometres east of Mombasa.
When the boat was finally escorted to shore, 769 tightly sealed packages of crystalline substances were uncovered. Preliminary field tests indicated the cargo was methamphetamine, a powerful synthetic narcotic that fetches billions on the global black market.
“This was a coordinated international operation that saved the country from a major influx of hard drugs,” said DCI Director Mohammed Amin, flanked by Kenya Navy Deputy Commander Brigadier Sankale Kiswaa. “The vessel had attempted to disguise its route and identity — classic tactics used by transnational drug syndicates.”
However, controversy has brewed over discrepancies in the reported weight of the seized drugs, with various agencies releasing conflicting figures.
In court, the prosecution requested additional time to authenticate the credentials of the court interpreter, emphasizing the need for an independent translator to ensure fairness in the trial.
The six suspects have been remanded at the Port Police Station pending further instructions, with the next court appearance scheduled for Tuesday, October 28.
The dramatic arrest has sent shockwaves through Kenya’s coastal region, a known transit point for global narcotics networks linking Asia, the Middle East, and East Africa.
As investigations deepen, authorities are now probing whether the “dark vessel” was part of a larger syndicate with local collaborators — and just how many more such ships might be silently slicing through the Indian Ocean’s vast blue expanse.
This is a developing story.
