This archive report was first published on 14 August 2019.
On August 14, 2019, Kenyan police launched a search of the Mombasa mansion of tycoon Ali Punjani in connection with a US-led drug trafficking investigation.
Three people, including a Nepalese woman who claims to be Punjani's wife, and two men – one a Nepalese national and the other Indian – were arrested at the property.
The investigation, which began in the US, also involves Kenyan brothers Baktash and Ibrahim Akasha, who are facing drug trafficking charges in New York.
According to court documents, the Akasha brothers pleaded guilty to several drug violations, including a conspiracy to smuggle over 100kg of heroin and methamphetamine into the US.
As part of their plea bargain, the brothers agreed to reveal the identities of their fellow traffickers, including Punjani, who has not commented on the allegations against him.
His lawyer, Jeff Asige, stated that Punjani was in India for medical treatment at the time of the raid.
