Four suspects have been detained for 13 days in connection with a cocaine trafficking syndicate operating through the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA). The arrests follow a series of coordinated operations conducted between October 5th and 7th, 2025, by the Multi-Agency Transnational Organised Crime Unit (TOCU). The suspects are believed to be part of a highly organized criminal network smuggling cocaine into and out of Kenya for both local distribution and export to international markets.
Investigations have identified Rishad Abdulrahim Sheikh as the alleged ringleader of the syndicate. He is said to have orchestrated multiple drug shipments using contacts within and outside the country. Another suspect, Muamar Mutua Mohammed, reportedly acted as the group’s logistician, managing the coordination of narcotics movement through JKIA. Authorities also apprehended Hajinur Yussuf Mohamed and Adam Omari, who are believed to have supported the syndicate’s operational network by facilitating transport, communication, and concealment of illegal substances.
The arrests came shortly after a media exposé highlighted serious security lapses at JKIA, showing how narcotics were trafficked despite the presence of surveillance systems and security personnel. The revelations raised concerns about possible insider involvement and systemic weaknesses in airport oversight, prompting swift action by security agencies.
Investigations have since linked the local network to an international drug trafficking case involving Jesse Da Mata Dos Santos, a British national arrested in London with 20 kilograms of cocaine. Court documents indicate that Dos Santos maintained direct communication with Rishad Sheikh, who holds dual Kenyan-British citizenship. Hajinur Yussuf Mohamed, another suspect, is said to be Sheikh’s cousin and an active participant in the operation’s cross-border activities.
Detectives tracked Sheikh and Hajinur to a shopping mall in Nyali, Mombasa County, before apprehending them alongside their accomplices in an apartment in Utawala, Nairobi County. During the raid, investigators recovered two packages suspected to contain cocaine and seven mobile phones. The seized items are undergoing forensic and chemical analysis to determine their composition and trace their connection to previous trafficking cases.
Kenyan and British authorities are working jointly to dismantle the transnational network. Legal assistance requests have been made to obtain digital and physical evidence from the United Kingdom, expected to be pivotal in exposing the full extent of the syndicate’s operations. The suspects will remain in custody until October 29, 2025, as investigations continue.
