NACADA warns drug barons as sh8.2B meth haul goes up in smoke

MOMBASA, Kenya—National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) Board Chair Bishop Dr Stephen Mairori has issued a stern warning to drug traffickers, saying Kenya will not allow illicit drug dealers to profit at the expense of its people.

Mairori spoke on Thursday at the Bamburi Cement factory in Mombasa during the destruction of 1,036.044 kilogrammes of methamphetamine valued at approximately Sh8.2 billion.

The NACADA chair said the successful interception of the consignment demonstrated what could be achieved when security and drug-control agencies worked together.

He commended the Kenya Navy, Kenya Coast Guard Service, National Police Service, Anti-Narcotics Unit, Directorate of Criminal Investigations and NACADA for working as a multi-agency team to intercept the drugs before they reached Kenyan streets.

“This poison never reached our streets,” Mairori said, while thanking the agencies involved in the operation.

He also commended the Judiciary for its role in prosecuting the case, saying cooperation between security agencies and the justice system remained essential in the fight against drug trafficking.

Mairori said drug traffickers should expect intensified enforcement, warning that those involved in the trade would not be allowed to enjoy its proceeds at the expense of Kenyans and their children.

He further said the government’s enforcement strategy, including asset seizure and tougher sentences for convicted traffickers, should continue to strengthen the fight against the illicit drug trade.

The NACADA chair thanked President William Ruto and the government for supporting multi-agency operations and providing logistical support for enforcement activities.

He said NACADA would continue working with its partners to confront alcohol and drug abuse, adding that the Authority would not relent in its mandate as the government’s lead agency in the fight against the menace.

The destruction of the methamphetamine haul comes as six Iranian nationals face a trafficking case before the Shanzu Law Courts.

The six—Jaseem Darzadeh Nia, Nadeem Jadgal, Hassan Baloch, Raheem Baksh, Imran Baloch and Imtiyaz Daryay—are charged with trafficking narcotic drugs contrary to Section 4(a)(ii) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act.

Shanzu Chief Magistrate Anthony Mwicigi recently ruled that the six have a case to answer after the prosecution presented 12 witnesses and closed its case.

The accused were subsequently placed on their defence under Section 211 of the Criminal Procedure Code. The ruling established a prima facie case but did not amount to a conviction, and the accused remain presumed innocent unless found guilty.

The drugs were intercepted in the Indian Ocean in October 2025 after security agencies stopped the vessel Mashaallah about 340 nautical miles east of Mombasa. The seizure subsequently became the subject of the ongoing court proceedings.

As the multi-billion-shilling haul was destroyed in Mombasa, Mairori said the operation should serve as a warning that security agencies would continue pursuing those involved in the trafficking of illicit drugs.

“We will not relent,” he said.