By Peter John
The Shanzu Magistrate’s Court has extended the detention of six Iranian nationals at the centre of a major narcotics investigation, granting prosecutors additional time to complete what has been described as a highly complex and transnational probe.
Chief Magistrate Antony Muchigi approved the application by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), allowing investigators to hold the suspects until 12 January 2026.
The six were arrested on 24 October 2025 after a Kenya Navy operation intercepted a suspicious vessel at Kilindini Port.
On board, authorities discovered 769 packages of a crystalline substance weighing 1,035.986 kilograms, believed to be synthetic narcotic drugs with an estimated street value exceeding Ksh 8 billion.
According to the prosecution, the investigation involves extensive forensic work, international cooperation, and the tracing of suspected trafficking networks stretching beyond Kenya’s borders.
Prosecutors told the court that the nature and scale of the intercepted cargo point to a large, well-coordinated operation requiring more time to gather evidence, analyse seized materials, and link the suspects to the wider network.
The court reaffirmed earlier directives authorising investigators to send the seized substances to the Government Chemist for laboratory analysis.
It also upheld orders allowing forensic examination of the suspects’ mobile phones at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters, a process expected to shed light on potential communication patterns and accomplices.
Investigators have indicated that the case touches on national security, underscoring Kenya’s ongoing efforts to disrupt international narcotics routes that use the region’s coastal corridor as a transit point.
The suspects are currently being held at the Port Police Station as the probe continues.
A decision on whether the six will face formal charges is expected when they appear in court on 12 January 2026, marking the next significant step in one of the country’s largest recent narcotics investigations.
