Four Arrested In JKIA Cocaine Cartel Crackdown

Detectives have dismantled an international cocaine trafficking ring that was using Jomo Kenyatta International Airport as a major transit hub, arresting four suspects in a coordinated operation across Mombasa and Nairobi.

Officers from the Transnational Organized Crime Unit seized 750 grams of cocaine valued at Sh2.9 million, along with packaging materials used to conceal narcotics during the three-day operation conducted between October 5 and 7, 2025.

The breakthrough came after intelligence linked the Kenyan network to a British national arrested in London carrying 20 kilograms of cocaine. The operation exposed a sophisticated smuggling operation that exploited Kenya’s primary international airport to move drugs across borders.

On October 5, detectives moved swiftly to intercept the alleged ringleader, Rishad Abdulrahim Sheikh, and his cousin Hajinur Yussuf Mohamed at Nyali Centre Mall in Mombasa. Sheikh, a dual Kenyan-British citizen, is suspected of coordinating the drug shipments through JKIA with the help of accomplices embedded within the operation.

The following day, investigators arrested Muamar Mutua Mohammed and his cousin Adam Omari in Nairobi. Mohammed is believed to have served as the syndicate’s logistics handler, orchestrating the movement of narcotics through the airport’s security checkpoints.

All four suspects were arraigned before Magistrate Njeri Thuku at JKIA Law Courts on October 7. Investigators obtained 13 days’ custodial orders, keeping the suspects in detention until October 29 as the probe continues.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations revealed that the investigation had been ongoing since mid-2024, following intelligence tracking of the syndicate’s operations. The arrests mark a significant disruption of drug networks that have been exploiting Kenya’s position as a regional transport hub.

TOCU officials said the operation underscores their commitment to tackling transnational organized crime and protecting the country’s airports from being used by international drug cartels. The unit has been working with multiple agencies and international partners to trace the full extent of the trafficking network.

The suspects face charges related to drug trafficking and possession of narcotics, offences that carry severe penalties under Kenyan law.

Jomo Kenyatta International Airport