Six Iranians accused of trafficking narcotics worth Ksh.8.2 billion pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges in a Kenyan court Monday.
The accused, who include Jasem Darzaen Nia, Nadeem Jadgai, Imran Baloch, Hassan Baloch, Rahim Baksh and Imtiyaz Daryayi, were arrested in the Indian Ocean on October 25, 2025, while ferrying 1,036 kilogrammes of methamphetamine.
They pleaded guilty before Chief Magistrate Anthony Mwicigi at the Shanzu Law Courts, according to a statement released by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).
“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,” ODPP said.
The prosecution informed the court that the drugs were hidden on a stateless ship called Mashaallah, a tactic thought to be employed by international criminal networks to avoid identification and prosecution.
The hearing is scheduled for January 30, 2026, at the Kenya Navy facility in Mtongwe, where the confiscated vessel and large drug exhibits are being housed. DPP’s team has requested two weeks to arrange and present the evidence.
The accused has been ordered by the court to be detained at Shimo La Tewa jail while the case is being heard.