A Shanzu court has found six Iranian nationals with a case to answer over the alleged trafficking of more than one tonne of methamphetamine worth an estimated Sh8.2 billion.
Shanzu Chief Magistrate Anthony Mwicigi ruled that the prosecution had presented sufficient evidence to establish a prima facie case against the six, allowing the matter to proceed to the defence stage under Section 211 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
The accused persons are Jaseem Darzadeh Nia, Nadeem Jadgal, Hassan Baloch, Raheem Baksh, Imran Baloch and Imtiyaz Daryay.
They are accused of trafficking 1,036.044 kilograms of methamphetamine, which the prosecution says has an estimated value of Sh8.2 billion.
The decision followed the conclusion of the prosecution’s case after 12 witnesses testified before the court. The magistrate held that the evidence presented was sufficient to require each of the accused to respond to the charges.
The six face charges under Section 4(a)(ii) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act.
According to the prosecution, the suspects, alongside other individuals who have not been charged, were involved in transporting the suspected narcotics aboard a vessel known as Mashaallah.
The vessel was allegedly unregistered and stateless when it was intercepted on the high seas with the drug consignment on board.
The alleged offence occurred between October 17 and 20, 2025, in international waters.
In his ruling, Magistrate Mwicigi noted the exceptional nature of the case, particularly the quantity of drugs involved and the fact that the evidence before the court arose from an operation conducted on the high seas.
The prosecution team is led by Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Joseph Kimanthi, Principal Prosecution Counsel Alex Ndiema and Prosecution Counsel Henrietta Mburu.
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