Six Iranian Nationals who were charged with trafficking methamphetamine valued at approximately Ksh8.2 billion last year have pleaded guilty.
The four made the admission after they were arraigned at the Shanzu Law Courts in Mombasa on Monday, January 12.
The six were nabbed on a dhow in the Indian Ocean on October 26, 2025, as they were allegedly ferrying 1,036.044 Kgs of methamphetamine.
The Shanzu Law Courts directed that the six suspects be held at Shimo La Tewa GK Prison until Friday, January 30, when the facts of the case are expected to be read.
"The charges were formally read after the conclusion of a Miscellaneous Application that had earlier been filed seeking custodial orders. All six accused persons pleaded guilty to the charges," a statement from the DCI read.
"This case highlights the unwavering resolve of the country’s security agencies to dismantle transnational narcotics networks and protect the nation from the devastating effects of illicit drugs," DCI added.
Their vessel was intercepted 630 kilometres east of the coast of Mombasa by a joint team comprising the DCI, the Kenya Navy, the Kenya Coast Guard, and NACADA, before being escorted to the port.
DCI director Mohamed Amin said that the boat was put on radar by Kenyan security agencies after regional and international partners alerted them about a suspicious boat roaming in the Western Indian Ocean.
DCI Director Mohamed Amin said that after the vessel was impounded, security agencies obtained a court order allowing them to inspect its contents.
"It may be too early for me to say that the destination was point A or B; it is still under investigation, but certainly it was destined anywhere in this region, and in terms of the source, the vessel was stateless, and it had no flags," Amin said while addressing the press after the operation.
The detectives have indicated that they will not back down in ensuring that all criminal networks, especially those involved in drug trafficking, are dismantled.
