How Woman’s Arrest Linked KDF Officers to Alleged Ksh8.2B Meth Theft

Details have emerged of how Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) officers were implicated in the alleged theft of a portion of  the massive methamphetamine consignment seized during a high-level multi-agency operation on October 25, 2025.

A routine anti-narcotics operation in Mombasa led to the arrest of a woman suspected of dealing crystal meth, with detectives discovering she was married to an active KDF soldier and connected by marriage to a sitting Member of Parliament. Security sources indicated that her detention raised suspicions that part of the KSh8.2 billion meth seizure recovered at sea in October may have been siphoned off before reaching official custody.

Intelligence teams linked the woman to local crystal meth distribution in Mombasa and arrested her last week. Investigators noted that the packaging of the drugs seized at her residence bore striking similarities to the 1,024-kilogramme consignment intercepted in a multi-agency operation 630 kilometres offshore in October. Officers also recovered KSh700,000 in cash, believed to be proceeds from the illicit trade.

Once her identity emerged, Military Police took over the case, transferring her to a KDF facility for interrogation. Multiple military personnel associated with the October seizure are now under scrutiny, with some expected to face court-martial proceedings if allegations are confirmed.

The October operation involved the Kenya Navy, Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), and foreign security agencies, including the United States. It resulted in the arrest of six Iranian nationals aboard a stateless dhow reportedly used by a regional cartel moving narcotics between the Arabian Peninsula and East Africa.

Senior officers familiar with the probe said investigators are examining whether a portion of the drugs was misappropriated at sea before the dhow was towed to Mombasa.

“We understand something fishy happened when the personnel intercepted the haul in the dhow,” a security officer said, adding that rogue soldiers may have concealed part of the shipment before handing it over to civilian agencies.

On Tuesday, KDF issued a rare public statement acknowledging that some personnel are under investigation.

“It has been alleged that during the operation, and as the narcotics were being offloaded for transport ashore, some KDF personnel involved in the mission stole and concealed a portion of the narcotics for personal gain,” the statement read.

The military insisted the full 1,024 kilograms of methamphetamine remains intact and under round-the-clock protection by a multi-agency security team.

“We wish to clarify that the entire 1,024 kilograms of methamphetamine offloaded ashore remains intact and is under continuous, round-the-clock protection by a dedicated multi-agency security team,” KDF said.

Meanwhile, a Shanzu court ordered the six Iranians arrested during the operation; Jasem Darzaen Nia, Nadeem Jadgai, Imran Baloch, Hassan Baloch, Rahim Baksh, and Imtiyaz Daryayi, be held for an additional 21 days.

Detectives from the Anti-Narcotics Unit are working to trace the origins and ownership of the meth shipment, which smugglers had disguised in bags labeled as premium Arabica coffee. The Government Chemist confirmed the drugs are 98 percent pure.

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