The Shanzu Magistrate’s Court approved a fresh application by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to continue holding six Iranian nationals at the centre of a high-profile drug trafficking investigation until January 12, 2026.
Chief Magistrate Antony Muchigi granted the request after prosecutors argued that the inquiry, focused on narcotic substances valued at more than Sh8 billion, remains complex and involves extensive forensic and transnational investigative steps.
The suspects, who were arrested on October 24, 2025, will return to court on the January date, when the DPP is expected to announce whether they will be formally charged.
The six were apprehended aboard a dark vessel intercepted by the Kenya Navy at Kilindini Port.
Authorities seized 769 packages of crystalline material weighing 1,035.986 kilograms, believed to be synthetic narcotic drugs. Investigators are probing the suspects for trafficking in narcotic drugs contrary to Section 4(a)(ii) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act, 1994.
The court also reaffirmed earlier orders allowing investigators to forward the seized substances to the Government Chemist for analysis, and to subject the suspects’ mobile phones to forensic examination at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters.
According to the investigating officer, the scale of the operation, the nature of the seized substances, and the suspected international networks involved necessitate additional time to complete the inquiry.
The prosecution stressed that the case touches on national security and forms part of wider efforts to combat transnational organized crime.
The suspects will remain detained at the Port Police Station as investigations continue.
A final determination on whether they will be charged is expected when they appear in court on January 12, 2026.
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