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Some of the eight KDF soldiers linked to the theft of 24kg of methamphetamine recovered in the Indian Ocean. In this photo taken on December 11, 2025, they appeared before Mombasa Senior Resident Magistrate Gladys Olimo.
Eight Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) soldiers have been detained for 10 days as investigations continue into their alleged involvement in 24 kilograms of methamphetamine believed to have been diverted from the Sh8.2 billion narcotics consignment seized from Iranian suspects in the Indian Ocean on October 19.
The eight are believed to have been part of the Kenya Navy team deployed to the high seas to intercept the dhow, MV Mashallah, which was found carrying 1,024 kilogrammes of crystalline methamphetamine declared as pure coffee.
Mombasa Senior Resident Magistrate Gladys Olimo allowed detectives from the Anti-Narcotics Unit (ANU) to hold the soldiers at the Port Police Station as investigations continue into how they came into possession of drugs valued at Sh192 million.
The suspects are Duke Nyamwaya, Juma Mwinyifaki, Michael Kariuki, Elijah Mbogo, James Ekiru, Abdulrehman Salad and Abdirahman Abdi.
Detectives also sought orders allowing the forensic extraction and analysis of eleven mobile phones and paired SIM cards recovered from the suspects. The court heard that the devices were seized after searches were carried out in the soldiers’ residences and workplaces.
According to an affidavit sworn by Police Constable Isaac Njoroge, the investigating officer, the ANU is investigating the suspects for trafficking in narcotic drugs contrary to Section 4(a)(ii) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Control Act of 1994. Mr Njoroge told the court that on December 6, officers from the DCI Headquarters and the Mombasa Regional Headquarters arrested the respondents after the recovery of suspected narcotics linked to them.
“Search was conducted in the respondents’ residences where whitish crystalline substances packaged in whitish packages suspected to be narcotic drugs were seized,” he said.
The affidavit outlines the quantities allegedly recovered from each suspect. Eleven packages of crystalline substances were found in Nyamwaya’s residence, two in Mwinyifaki’s, five in Kariuki’s and one in Mbogo’s.
For Ekiru and Abdi, Mr Njoroge said that although no drugs were found in their direct possession, intelligence reports, communication data and witness accounts place them in active association with the primary suspects.
“Their movements, interactions and digital links suggest possible roles as facilitators, coordinators or enablers within the wider syndicate,” he said.
He said the suspected recovered substances are yet to be weighed, sampled and analysed, which can only be conducted by a designated government analyst in the presence of the respondents. The officer argued that continued detention is necessary to protect the integrity of the investigation.
“Releasing the respondents now may pose a serious risk of witness interference, destruction of electronic evidence and coordination with accomplices who may conceal key exhibits,” he said.
Njoroge added that the suspects appear to be part of a larger trafficking syndicate and that several accomplices are still at large.
One of the eight KDF soldiers linked to the theft of 24kg of methamphetamine recovered in the Indian Ocean.
He further noted that forensic analysis of the seized phones, computers and digital storage devices is technically complex and time-consuming, and that releasing the suspects could result in remote data deletion or interference with cloud-based records.
He also told the court that several witnesses are vulnerable or closely connected to the narcotics network and may face intimidation if the suspects are released. The Sh8.2 billion worth of methamphetamine was found concealed in black polythene bags wrapped in yellow tape labelled “100 per cent roasted and grounded Arabica coffee”.
Some of the eight KDF soldiers linked to the theft of 24kg of methamphetamine recovered in the Indian Ocean. In this photo taken on December 11, 2025, they appeared before Mombasa Senior Resident Magistrate Gladys Olimo.
The vessel was crewed by six Iranians who include Jasem Darzaen Nia, Nadeem Jadgai, Imran Baloch, Hassan Baloch, Rahim Baksh and Imtiyaz Daryayi. They remain in custody pending investigations.
The eight soldiers had been held by military police since November 23, before being handed over to ANU officers.
A routine investigation into drug-trafficking leads in Mombasa led to the soldiers’ arrest after intelligence linked them to a woman involved in the crystal-meth trade in the city. Packaging similar to that seized at sea was recovered, prompting her arrest by military police. Last Tuesday, the KDF confirmed that a number of its personnel were under investigation.
“It has been alleged that during the operation, and as the narcotics were being offloaded for transport ashore, some KDF personnel involved in the mission stole and concealed portions of the narcotics for personal gain,” the statement said.
However, the KDF clarified that the entire 1,024 kilogrammes offloaded remained intact and under round-the-clock protection by a multi-agency team. It said the suspected theft may have occurred in the deep sea before the consignment was delivered to other agencies.
The stateless vessel was intercepted about 630 kilometres east of Mombasa, adding to Kenya’s major drug hauls such as the 2006 Sh6 billion cocaine seizure and the 2014 Sh1.3 billion heroin haul. The matter will be mentioned on December 22.
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