Seven officers from the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) accused of Trafficking Drugs Worth Ksh192 Million have been released on bond.
The Seven, Duke Nyamwaya, Juma Mwinyifaki, Michael Kariuki, Elijah Mbogo, James Ekiru, Abdulrehman Salad and Abdirahman Abdi Kuno appeared before mombasa senior resident Magistrate Gladys Olimo on Monday where they were released on a kshs.500,000 bond each or an alternative cash bail of a similar amount, provide one contact person, and report to the Anti-Narcotics Police unit Mombasa weekly.
The Seven were arrested over trafficking 24 kilograms of methamphetamine valued at sh.192 million
The prosecution through prosecution counsel Yassin Mohamed and Brenda Oganda had filed an application seeking to have the seven detained for 12 more days to allow more time to obtain a forensic analysis report from government experts.
Defence lawyers opposed the extension, arguing that the continued detention would violet their clients’ constitutional rights. They urged the prosecution to either press charges or release the suspects stating that further holding would be unconstitutional and illegal.
The prosecution had requested the additional 12 days for the analysis, having already been granted a 10-day extension earlier. However, they urgued that the high value of the drugs and the technical nature of the ongoing forensic procedures necessitated additional time.
According to an affidavit sworn by investigation officer PC Isaac Njoroge, the detectives recovered 24 kilograms of crystalline material packaged in white packets from the suspects’ home and workplaces.The team also seized 11 mobile phones of various brands from the suspects, which investigators say were crucial to tracing communication patterns and identifying accomplices.
The seized drugs are believed to be part of a larger consignment stolen from a multi-agency operation that intercepted 1,024 kilograms of methamphetamine worth sh.8.2 billion in October during asting on a stateless vessel in the Indian Ocean.
During the operation, six Iranians were also arrested aboard the flagless vessel.