Six Iranians arraigned: Court hears how Kenya Navy seized methamphetamine-laden vessel

A case against six Iranians accused of trafficking methamphetamine worth Sh8.2 billion kicked off with a court being told how the vessel suspected to be carrying drugs was intercepted.

The court heard that the mission to intercept the vessel which had been code named (MV Igor) started on October 19 last year with a notification sent to Kenya Navy to conduct the operation.

Lt Col Job Gitonga told the court that the vessel was intercepted on October 20 and that the six Iranians on board did not respond to a radio signal to stop it and only responded through hand signal.

The officer told Shanzu Chief Magistrate Anthony Mwicigi that Kenya Navy marine commandos led by a Captain Mwanake boarded the vessel upon interception.

“Captain Mwanake told me there were six crew members and the ship (vessel) did not have any documentation, the crew had Iranian cards and there was white substance which the vessel’s captain claimed was ice,” Lt Col Gitonga told the court.

He told the court that they communicated to their headquarters (Kenya Navy) on what was found and that a decision was made to tow the vessel to Mombasa.

In his evidence in chief led by prosecutor Alex Ndiema, Lt Col Gitonga told the court that upon interception of the vessel, the journey to Mombasa began where they arrived on October 23.

“The six crew and cargo on board their vessel were being guarded by the marine commandos led by Captain Mwanake,” the officer told the court.

He told the court that once they arrived in Mombasa on October 23 at night, the vessel was taken to the mooring ball, and more security was provided by the Kenya Coast Guard Service boats.

“No personnel had entered the vessel apart from the commandos,” said Lt Col Gitonga adding that he boarded the vessel when a multi agency security team arrived where the vessel had been docked.

The officer told the court that officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI)-Anti Narcotics Unit in conjunction with those from the government chemists took a sample of the substance from one package and conducted a test on it.

“There was equipment with the DCI and the government chemists, they told us it was a rapid test,” said the officer.

The officer told the court that the vessel did not have any flag and that there was no documentation on board.

He said that according to the incident report, the vessel may have conducted narcotic delivery in Mozambique in June last year

Upon cross examination by defence lawyer Lawrence Obonyo, Lt Col Gitonga said that they intercepted the vessel outside the country’s maritime boarders but at the high seas.

The senior naval officer told the court that the location of interception was closer to Kenya than any other state.

“Six people were on board the vessel, I was on board Kenya Navy Ship Shupavu I could see through binoculars,” said Lt Col Gitonga.

The six Iranians are Jaseem Nia (captain of the vessel), Nadeem Jadgal,Hassan Baloch, Raheem Baksh, Imran Baloch and Imtiyaz Daryayi.

They allegedly, jointly with others not before court, trafficked 1,036 kilograms of methamphetamine by conveying it in an unregistered and stateless dark vessel christened ‘mashallah’ in contravention of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substance (Control) Act.

The court heard that the offence was committed on diverse dates between October 17 and 20 last year in the high seas approximately 350 nautical miles east of the port of Mombasa within the jurisdiction of Kenya by virtue of the vessel being stateless.

The witness told the court that the Regional Coordination Operations Centre (RCOC) based in Seychelles had sent notification to Kenya Navy to intercept the vessel.

RCOC coordinates maritime operations within the Indian oceans and has over six member states including Kenya.

He further said that there was no foreign ship which was assisting them (Kenya Navy) with the operation and that the vessel was suspected to be trafficking narcotics.

“It (vessel) was suspected to be carrying narcotics that is why it was brought to Mombasa,” said Ltd Col Gitonga adding that the captain of the vessel had claimed that they were carrying ice.

The witness further told the court that he did not count the exhibits on board the vessel saying that he was not trained in handling evidence.

Hearing continues.