This archive report was first published on 13 August 2019.
Mombasa Tycoon Ali Punjani Linked to Drugs, Has 20 Police as Bodyguards ¶
Published on August 13, 2019
Ali Punjani, a wealthy businessman from Mombasa, has been linked to the drugs trade, with allegations suggesting he has been involved in the narcotics business for years. The claims have sparked controversy, particularly given his close ties to the police.
According to sources, Punjani has 20 police officers assigned as his bodyguards, a move that has raised eyebrows given his alleged involvement in the drugs trade. The police officers are reportedly stationed at his palatial home in the upmarket Nyali area of Mombasa.
The home, which is located atop a cliff overlooking the Indian Ocean, is said to be heavily guarded, with an electrified gate and 24-hour security. The only other exit from the home is a door on the ocean front.
More than 30 police officers participated in a raid on Punjani's home, attracting the attention of curious neighbors. Inside the compound, top-of-the-range vehicles, some fitted with bulletproof windows, were found.
Punjani was married to Indian Bollywood actress Kim Sharma for seven years before he ditched her in 2017 for another woman.
The ongoing operation against the drugs menace follows Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i's declaration that a 'painful period for criminal gangs and drug lords' was about to begin in the coastal city.
Mr. Punjani's profile reads as 'businessman,' but he has been linked to the drugs trade in the past. A US embassy dossier tabled in Parliament about 10 years ago implicated him in the narcotics business, but investigations cleared him of any wrongdoing.
However, his name resurfaced in an ongoing criminal trial in New York of suspected Kenyan drug barons, including Baktash Akasha, Ibrahim Akasha, and Indian fugitive Vijay Goswami.
Also caught up in the operation was a senior police officer in Lamu, who was arrested in connection with the release of a massive consignment of drugs. Chief Inspector Shadrack Mumo, the OCS for the Kizingitini police station, is being held by detectives for allegedly receiving a Sh50,000 bribe to release the haul.
Additionally, a member of the Mombasa County Assembly (MCA) was arrested in connection with drug trafficking. Bofu Ward Representative Ahmed Salama, alias Bulldozer, recorded a statement at the Likoni Police Station before taking the police officers to his house.
