By Andrew Kariuki
A Mombasa court has charged a 20 year old man and a 17 year old female TikTok user in connection with an alleged drug trafficking offence involving heroin valued at over Ksh.300,000.
The two accused, Amir Latif and the minor, appeared before Resident Magistrate Green Odera, where they faced charges of trafficking in narcotic drugs contrary to Section 4(a)(ii) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act, as amended in 2022.
According to the prosecution, the duo was found in possession of 109.17 grams of heroin with an estimated street value of Ksh.327,510.
Both denied the charges when they were read out in court.
Principal Prosecution Counsel Purity Musembi urged the court to impose stringent bond terms, citing the gravity of the offence and the need to safeguard the public from the dangers posed by illegal drugs.
In his ruling, Magistrate Odera admitted Latif to bond of Ksh.1 million with a surety of a similar amount.
He was also ordered to surrender his passport and was barred from leaving the court’s jurisdiction pending the determination of the case.
The court, however, declined to grant bond to the minor after an age assessment confirmed she is 17 years old.
She was remanded at the Likoni Children’s Remand Home and placed under the supervision of the Children’s Department for rehabilitation and reintegration.
A social inquiry report presented in court indicated that the minor had been living with Latif after leaving her parents’ home approximately three years ago.
The matter is scheduled for pretrial on March 17, 2026.
