By Peter John

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) has begun prosecuting a high-profile drug trafficking case involving narcotics worth Ksh.8.2 billion.

Appearing before Shanzu Chief Magistrate Anthony Mwicigi, the prosecution stated it plans to call 12 witnesses against six Iranian nationals comprising Jasem Darzadeh Nia, Rahim Baksh Goharam, Hassan Baloch, Imran Baloch Mustafa, Nadeem Jadgal Abdulgani and Emtiyaz Daryayi.

Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Joseph Kimanthi told the court that Kenya has the legal authority to handle the case under both the Constitution and international law.

“The vessel was not engaged in legitimate activity but in an organised trafficking operation,” Kimanthi stated.

The first witness, Kenya Navy Lieutenant Colonel Joab Gitonga, explained how the suspects were arrested during a coordinated international operation.

Gitonga told the court that the mission was carried out through the Regional Coordination Operations Centre, which works to fight crime in the Indian Ocean.

He said that on October 17, 2025, the Kenya Navy received intelligence about two suspicious vessels, MV Igor and MV Chevy. Authorities tracked MV Igor, which was believed to be heading towards the East African coast.

With support from the Seychelles Coast Guard, the vessel was intercepted on October 20, 2025, about 350 nautical miles off the Kenyan coast.

The court heard that the dhow, later identified as Mashallah, had no flag, did not respond to radio calls, and appeared to be drifting, raising suspicion.

A search by marine commandos found six crew members with Iranian identification but no ship registration documents.

Officers also recovered 769 packets of a white crystalline substance, later confirmed to be methamphetamine, weighing over one tonne.

The vessel was escorted to Mombasa, where it was handed over to a multi-agency team for further investigations.

The trial continues.