Six Iranians Plead Guilty to Ksh 8.2 Billion Drug Haul As Dpp Tightens Net on High-seas Traffickers

In a sustained effort to tightennthe noose on international narcotics trade, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) has secured guilty pleas from six Iranian nationals in a major high-seas narcotics case involving over a tonne of methamphetamine valued at KSh 8.2 billion. This major breakthrough reaffirms Kenya’s hardline stance against international drug trafficking syndicates. The six, Jaseem Darzadeh Nia, Nadeem Jadgal, Hassan Baloch, Raheem Baksh, Imran Baloch and Imtiyaz Daryay, pleaded guilty to trafficking 1,036 kilograms of methamphetamine before Chief Magistrate Anthony Mwicigi at the Shanzu Law Courts. The offence was committed between October 17 and 20, 2025, on the high seas at coordinates approximately 350 nautical miles east of the Port of Mombasa. Prosecution told the court the narcotics were concealed aboard a stateless vessel named Mashaallah, a common strategy used by transnational criminal networks to evade detection and jurisdiction. The accused were arrested on 25th October 2025, and arraigned in court on January 12, 2026, following extensive investigations. The charges were preferred under Section 4(a)(ii) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act, 1994, as amended in 2022, which the prosecution said has significantly strengthened Kenya’s legal framework against large-scale drug trafficking. The DPP’s team applied for two weeks to organize and present the facts, requesting the proceedings be held on 30th January 2026, at the Kenya Navy base in Mtongwe, where the seized vessel and bulky drug exhibits are being held. The court was also asked to remand the accused at Shimo La Tewa Prison pending the hearing. The case represents a significant win for the DPP and sends a clear message that Kenya will not tolerate drug trafficking through its territorial waters or the high seas.