Seven individuals have been charged before Mombasa Law Courts Senior Principal Magistrate, Gladys Olimo, over the possession of 24 kilograms of methamphetamine valued at Sh192 million, believed to be part of a larger drug haul stolen from a Multi-agency operation.
The stolen consignment is suspected to have originated from the 1,024 kilogrammes of methamphetamine worth Sh8.2 billion, intercepted in October, during a Multi-agency sting on a stateless vessel in the Indian Ocean.
Methamphetamine, a potent synthetic stimulant commonly produced in illegal laboratories, is often found in powder, tablet, or crystal form and is known for inducing intense euphoria and heightened physical and mental activity.
The Multi-agency operation involved officers from the Kenya Navy, Kenya Coast Guard Service, the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA), and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
Magistrate Olimo granted an application filed by the Anti-Narcotics Unit (ANU), allowing investigators 10 working days to conduct forensic analysis, profiling, and sampling of the narcotics.
The suspects will appear in court again on December 22, 2025. Prosecutors Yassin Mohamed and Brenda Oganda from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, told the court that the matter is of significant public interest.
The accused are Duke Nyamwaya, Juma Mwinyifaki, Michael Kariuki, Elijah Mbogo, James Ekiru, Abdulrehman Salad, and Abdirahman Abdi Kuno.
They were arrested on December 11, 2025, in a coordinated operation by ANU officers from the DCI Headquarters and the Mombasa Regional Office.
According to an affidavit sworn by investigating Officer, PC Isaac Njoroge, the team recovered a large quantity of suspected methamphetamine from the suspects’ homes and workplaces, including 24 kilograms of crystalline material packaged in white packets.
Police also seized 11 mobile phones of various brands, Redmi, Tecno, Itel, Samsung Galaxy, Vivo, and Oppo, which investigators say are crucial to tracing communication patterns, identifying accomplices, and mapping the extent of the alleged trafficking network.
The Court authorised the DCI to subject all seized electronic devices to cyber-forensic analysis.
The affidavit further states that the suspects’ digital footprints and communication records allegedly link them to a wider narcotics syndicate, involved in methamphetamine trafficking and distribution.
Investigators argued that releasing the suspects could jeopardise the case by enabling interference with witnesses, destruction of digital evidence, or coordination with accomplices still at large.
The Court ruled that the high value of the drugs, the technical nature of ongoing forensic procedures, and the potential flight risk, justify the extended detention.
