Iranian national jailed 30 years for drug trafficking in Indian Ocean

Mtwara. The High Court of Tanzania in Mtwara Sub-Registry has sentenced an Iranian national,  Mr Jan Mohamed Miran (51), to 30 years in prison after being found guilty of trafficking narcotics weighing 859.26 kilogrammes seized in the Indian Ocean.

The judgment was delivered on Thursday, May 21, 2026, by the High Court Principal Judge, Sylvester Kainda, who said evidence presented in court proved beyond reasonable doubt that the accused was part of a drug trafficking network.

According to the charges, Mr Miran and his six co-accused, all Iranian nationals, were arrested in Tanzania’s exclusive economic zone in Kilwa District, Lindi Region, aboard a dhow carrying 504.36 kilogrammes of heroin and 355 kilogrammes of methamphetamine.

Delivering the judgment, Judge Kainda said the offences were contrary to Section 15(1)(a) and 3(i) of the Drug Control and Enforcement Act, Cap. 95 of 2019, read together with Paragraph 23 of the First Schedule and Sections 57(1) and 60(2)(3) of the Economic and Organised Crime Control Act, Cap. 200 of 2019.

“Without doubt, this court is satisfied that the accused, Mr Jan Mohamed Miran, was directly involved in trafficking the seized drugs in the exclusive economic zone in Kilwa District, Lindi Region. The court therefore sentences him to 30 years in prison for each count, for both offences,” said Judge Kainda.

The court noted that although the convict was a first-time offender and had pleaded guilty at an early stage, thereby saving time and costs, the large quantity of drugs involved posed a serious threat to society, the economy, and national security.

Given the severity of the offence, the court said a stiff sentence was necessary to serve as a deterrent to the convict and the public against drug trafficking.

Mr Miran was accordingly sentenced to 30 years for each count, with the sentences to run concurrently.

Prosecution case

Senior State Attorney Tuhimanywa Majigo told the court that between April 22 and 24, 2021, the Tanzania People’s Defence Forces (TPDF) Naval Unit received intelligence information that led to a special patrol resulting in the seizure of the vessel and arrest of the suspects.

After the arrest, the suspects were taken to Kilwa Town before the matter was reported to the Drug Control and Enforcement Authority (DCEA) and the Tanzania Police Force.

Majigo further told the court that on April 24, 2021, officers from the Police Force and DCEA, in collaboration with other authorities, searched the dhow and recovered the narcotics, with seizure documents signed by the accused in the presence of independent witnesses.

The suspects were later transferred to Dar es Salaam for further investigation, where they allegedly confessed to possessing and trafficking the drugs destined for Mozambique.

On April 25, 2021, the seized substances were taken to the Government Chemist Laboratory Authority for analysis, which confirmed 504.36 kilogrammes of heroin and 355 kilogrammes of methamphetamine.

After being charged, Mr Miran pleaded guilty and was convicted, while the six co-accused denied the charges.

The prosecution tendered seven exhibits, including physical evidence and various documents, to prove the case.

However, in the economic case No. 12657/2025, the court acquitted the six co-accused after the prosecution indicated it did not intend to proceed with charges against them.

Those acquitted are Issa Ahmad Baluchi (40), Amir Baksh Changulo alias Amir Hussein Kasom (45), Salim Fedh Mohammad (30), Ikbal Pakir Mohammad (27), Mustafa Nowan Kadirbaksh (30), and Jawid Nuhan Nur Mohammad (29).

Defence

In mitigation, defence lawyer Rainery Songea urged the court to reduce the sentence, stating that the convict had already spent more than five years in custody since arrest and was the sole provider for a family with nine children in his home country.

However, despite the plea, the High Court maintained that a severe sentence was necessary, given the gravity of the offence and its impact on society.

Judge Kainda also ordered the destruction of all seized narcotics and the forfeiture of the dhow used in the trafficking to the government.