Major Heroin Trafficking Case Collapses in Kenya: Nine Freed After Legal Violations

Mombasa Court Frees Nine in Decade-Old Heroin Case A Mombasa court's decision to release nine foreign nationals previously convicted of heroin trafficking in 2014 has sparked debate about Kenya's handling of complex international drug cases. The court, citing serious procedural flaws, overturned the life sentences, highlighting issues with investigations and the destruction of key evidence. The case centered on the MV Al Noor, seized in the Indian Ocean. Sharon Maiga, a defense lawyer, stated, "It was our argument from the very beginning that this ship was arrested in the high seas outside the jurisdiction of the court." The court's ruling raises questions about accountability and oversight in the Kenyan justice system, prompting a discussion on the nation's capacity to effectively prosecute such cases. The destruction of the vessel before the defense could examine it fully is a major point of contention. The case, once hailed as one of Kenya's biggest drug busts, now stands as a cautionary tale of how not to conduct justice.