A Mombasa court has ordered seven Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) soldiers to be detained for 10 days as investigations intensify into a high-value drug trafficking case involving Ksh.192 million worth of methamphetamine.
The suspects—Duke Nyamwaya, Juma Mwinyifaki, Michael Kariuki, Elijah Mbogo Gacog’u, James Ekiru, Abdulrehman Salad, and Abdirahman Abdi Kuno—were arrested in a joint sting operation conducted by detectives from the DCI Headquarters and the Mombasa Regional Office.
According to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (ODPP), the seven are accused of trafficking 25 kilograms of methamphetamine, packaged in whitish crystalline sachets.
During coordinated raids on their homes and workplaces, investigators recovered additional narcotics, 11 mobile phones, and several exhibits believed to be connected to the trafficking ring.
“Searches led to the recovery of more narcotics and 11 mobile phones—among them Redmi, Tecno, Itel, Samsung Galaxy, Vivo, and Oppo models,” read part of the ODPP statement quoting investigating officer PC Isaac Njoroge.
The suspects appeared before Senior Resident Magistrate Gladys Ollimo, who granted the prosecution’s application to hold them for 10 more days. The Anti-Narcotics Unit (ANU) argued that investigators need adequate time to conduct comprehensive forensic analysis on the seized devices and substances.
Magistrate Ollimo also allowed experts to examine all recovered electronics to establish communication trails and connections to what authorities believe could be a larger, well-coordinated trafficking network.
During the hearing, prosecutors revealed that the recovered methamphetamine is yet to be weighed, sampled, and chemically analyzed due to operational constraints at the time of arrest.
The prosecution, led by Yassir Mohammed and Brenda Oganda, warned that releasing the suspects could jeopardize the investigation, citing risks such as witness interference, destruction of digital evidence, or contact with accomplices who may still be at large.
In her ruling, Magistrate Ollimo noted that the massive value of the drugs, the technical nature of the forensic work, and the potential flight risk justified extended detention.
The case is scheduled for mention on December 22 for further directions.
