A Sh8.2 billion drug trafficking case involving six Iranian nationals has entered a new phase after a Shanzu court ruled that the accused must explain their side of the case following the prosecution’s presentation of evidence linking them to more than one tonne of methamphetamine.
Shanzu Chief Magistrate Anthony Mwicigi made the ruling after the prosecution called 12 witnesses and closed its case against Jaseem Darzadeh Nia, Nadeem Jadgal, Hassan Baloch, Raheem Baksh, Imran Baloch and Imtiyaz Daryay.
The six are accused of trafficking 1,036.044 kilogrammes of methamphetamine, which the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) estimates to be worth about Sh8.2 billion on the street.
“The six are charged with trafficking 1,036.044 kilograms of methamphetamine valued at approximately Sh8.2 billion,” the ODPP said in a statement.
The case relates to an alleged drug shipment intercepted in the Indian Ocean between October 17 and 20, 2025.
According to the evidence presented in court, Kenyan authorities acted on intelligence concerning a suspicious vessel before intercepting it on the high seas.
The vessel was described by the prosecution as unregistered and stateless.
Investigators who boarded and searched the ship allegedly found packets containing a white crystalline substance. The substance was subjected to examination and identified as methamphetamine.
The prosecution said 769 packets were recovered after a detailed search of six of the vessel’s seven compartments.
A weighing exercise conducted under government supervision established that the recovered drugs had a combined weight of 1,036.044 kilogrammes.
The investigation also involved five mobile phones and four SIM cards recovered from the vessel, with forensic examinations of the devices presented as part of the evidence against the accused.
Prosecutors told the court that investigations pointed to Pozm Port in Iran as the place where the consignment was allegedly loaded. The shipment was reportedly headed for Mauritius when the vessel was intercepted.
The six had earlier admitted the charges before changing their pleas.
In January 2026, they returned to court seeking to have the charges read to them again. They told the court that they had not properly understood the charges when they initially pleaded guilty.
The charge was subsequently read afresh, after which all six entered pleas of not guilty.
Their pleas paved the way for the trial, which has now moved past the prosecution stage following the testimony of the 12 witnesses.
The prosecution had also opposed an application for bond, arguing that the accused were foreign nationals without known homes or dependable contacts in Kenya.
The state argued that the lack of established local ties created a risk that the six could leave the country and fail to attend court.
The court rejected their request for release on bond and ordered that they remain in custody as the case continued.
With the prosecution case now closed, the six have been placed on their defence under Section 211 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
The court’s finding means each accused will now be required to respond to the evidence that has been presented against them before the trial can be concluded.