Four suspects were arraigned at the JKIA Law Courts in Nairobi after being linked to a narcotics trafficking syndicate operating through the airport.
The four appeared in court on October 7, 2025 and were detained for 13 days pending investigations.
This follows a series of operations between October 5 and 7 2025, by the Multi-Agency Transnational Organised Crime Unit (TOCU), arresting the four individuals implicated in the smuggling of cocaine destined for both local and international markets.
The key suspects include Rishad Abdulrahim Sheikh, identified as the head of the syndicate and Muamar Mutua Mohammed, the syndicate’s logistician responsible for coordinating drug movement through JKIA, officials said.
Rishad Sheikh holds dual Kenyan-British citizenship.
Another suspect, Hajinur Yussuf Mohamed, also a British national, is believed to be Sheikh’s cousin.
Sheikh and Hajinur were tracked to Nyali Centre Mall in Mombasa County.
Additional suspects — Adam Omari, Muamar Mutua Mohammed, Hajinur Yussuf Mohamed, and Rishad Abdulrahim Sheikh — were apprehended at an apartment in Utawala, Nairobi County.
During the operation, detectives recovered two packages suspected to contain narcotics and seven mobile phones, now undergoing forensic analysis to trace communications and logistics.
Samples from the seized substances are being weighed and chemically profiled to establish links to previous trafficking incidents.
Investigators have connected the local arrests to an international case involving Jesse Da Mata Dos Santos, a British national recently detained in London with 20 kilograms of cocaine valued at Sh100 million.
Authorities in the United Kingdom are currently interrogating Jesse Da Mata Dos Santos.
Legal assistance requests have been initiated to secure physical exhibits and digital evidence believed to be domiciled in the UK.
These materials are expected to play a crucial role in unravelling the full scope of the transnational network.
The suspects will be detained until October 29, 2025.
The drug enterprise operates locally and internationally by leveraging multinational security cooperation with our strategic partners.
Jesse Bryan Da Mata Dos Santos, a British National, who was arrested on May 14, 2025 at Heathrow Airport, London with 20 kilograms of cocaine valued at about Sh100 million, was under active investigation by the Kenyan government.
Kenya was informed of the arrest and seizure of the drugs.
The suspect is in custody in London waiting for start of his trial in December.
The source of the cocaine is believed to be Tanzania.
Dos Santos first came into the country in late 2024, only armed with a bag pack and posed as a tourist quenching to explore Kenyan beautiful sceneries.
He pitched tent at a local hotel in Mlolongo area within Machakos County.
During his stay he frequented JKIA cargo section and patronized clubs near the airport.
He would later depart Kenya for United Kingdom, without saying goodbye to his female revelers.
He came back in early May 2025, this time with local knowledge and memories of Kenya.
He changed locations and opted to explore Kilimani areas of Nairobi.
In Kilimani he interacted with Nigerians hopping from one Airbnb to another, partying.
Unknown to him, Kenya’s security agencies were monitoring him.
At one point, an undercover female security officer seduced him posing as a call girl and gathered critical information surrounding his activities that would later provide actionable information.
All this time, security officials were fully aware of Dos Santos’ movements when he transited through JKIA, officials said.
They had tracked his involvement with an international syndicate and his travel itinerary was already under surveillance. While evidence existed to implicate him locally, the decision was made to allow him proceed with his journey to enable UK authorities identify the syndicate players in their country and take action accordingly.
Dos Santos had a history of evading law enforcement and using multiple passports.
Holding him in Nairobi risked an early alert to his network and possible interference through corrupt channels.
By letting him travel, security ensured that he would walk directly into the hands of UK authorities where extradition, conviction and longer sentencing were more certain as compared to Kenya where the Judiciary unnecessarily drags its feet in concluding cases and are likely to bungle a case by being compromised, an official aware of the plan revealed.
His activities in the country revealed a syndicate operating in the country with international links, investigators said.
The network has been mapped out and the source of the drugs established.
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