Mombasa, KENYA: Two men caught trying to smuggle heroin worth sh.28 million out of the country were on Wednesday convicted.
The owner of a yacht, ‘Baby Iris’, destroyed by government in 2015 at the Indian ocean, Ahmed Said Bakari and a foreigner, captain Clement Serge Bristol were sentenced to 20 years in jail plus a fine of sh.8 million and 10 years plus a fine of sh.5 million respectively.
Court found the accused persons intended to sail 10kg of heroin to Madagascar hidden in the tank of the the vessel.
‘This court is therefore convinced that owing to Ahmed’s close association with the vessel and its owner, he must have known that the narcotic drugs were therein,” ruled chief magistrate Julias Nang’ea.
Nang’ea directed that Serge, a Sychellois, be repatriated upon completion of the sentence.
Three other suspects were acquitted for lack of evidence.
“There is, however, no sufficient evidence that Mohammed Bakari, Sharifu Mzee and Ahmed Salim are culpable,” said Nang’ea.
The yacht was sized at Kilifi Boat yard in Mnarani area, Kilifi County on the 9th April 2015.
