The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has intensified the fight against narcotics trafficking after charging a 20-year-old man and a teenage TikTok user over a heroin haul valued at Ksh. 327,510 in Mombasa.
The accused, Amir Latif and a 17-year-old female TikToker whose identity is being withheld due to her age, appeared before Resident Magistrate Hon. Green Odera on Thursday and pleaded not guilty to trafficking 109.17 grams of heroin. The charge is brought under Section 4(a)(ii) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act, as amended in 2022.
During the proceedings, Principal Prosecution Counsel Purity Musembi pressed the court to impose strict bond terms, underscoring the gravity of the offence and the broader public danger posed by illicit drugs. The prosecution argued that firm conditions were necessary to safeguard the community.
In his ruling, Magistrate Odera released Latif on a Ksh. 1 million bond with a surety of an equal amount. He also ordered the accused to surrender his passport and barred him from leaving the court’s jurisdiction pending the hearing and determination of the case.
The court, however, declined to grant bond to the minor after an age assessment confirmed she is 17 years old. She was remanded at Likoni Children’s Remand Home and will be placed under the care of the Children’s Department for correction, reintegration, and rehabilitation.
A social inquiry report presented in court revealed the teenager had been living with Latif for the past three years after leaving her parents’ home, a detail that has added a troubling dimension to the case.
Pretrial proceedings are scheduled for March 17, 2026, as authorities continue to signal a tougher stance against drug trafficking networks, particularly those exploiting young people and social media platforms.
The prosecution maintains that the charges reflect the DPP’s firm commitment to dismantling narcotics operations and protecting vulnerable members of the public.
