A Mombasa court has directed that seven Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) soldiers be held for 10 days over allegations of diverting methamphetamine recovered in the Indian Ocean on October 19.
In a statement issued on Thursday, December 11, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) noted that the extended detention will allow investigators sufficient time to complete forensic analysis.
Senior Resident Magistrate Gladys Ollimo approved the request after the Anti-Narcotics Unit (ANU) sought additional time to advance the investigation.
Mombasa Court Holds 7 KDF Soldiers in Custody in Methamphetamine Probe. Photo: Courtesy.
The seven KDF officers were apprehended on December 11 during a coordinated operation involving detectives from both the DCI Headquarters and the Mombasa Regional Office.
The suspects have been identified as Duke Nyamwaya, Juma Mwinyifaki, Michael Kariuki, Elijah Mbogo Gacogโu, James Ekiru, Abdulrehman Salad, and Abdirahman Abdi Kuno.
The ODPP indicated that the seven officers allegedly diverted 25 kilograms of methamphetamine, packaged in whitish crystalline form and valued at approximately Ksh192 million.
Subsequent searches at their residences and workplaces uncovered additional quantities of narcotics, as well as 11 mobile phones comprising various models, including Redmi, Tecno, Itel, Samsung, Vivo, and Oppo.
Magistrate Ollimo instructed that forensic examinations be carried out on all the recovered electronic devices to establish communication patterns relevant to the investigation.
