Akasha Drug Empire Heir Found Dead After ‘Abduction’: Mystery Surrounds Yusuf Swaleh’s Fate
Yusuf Ahmed Swaleh, also known as Candy Rain or Kandereni, the alleged successor to the Akasha drug network along Kenya’s Coast, has been killed under unclear circumstances.
Swaleh’s remains were found at Kiruwitu near Vipingo in Kilifi on Sunday, following a span of nine days since he was purportedly taken by individuals claiming to be law enforcement officers for questioning.
Authorities along the Coast have chosen to stay silent regarding the issue, however, Jared Magolo, the lawyer representing the individual in question, verified to Gossipa2z.com on Monday that his client was fatally injured shortly after being detained for interrogation.
“Yes. They killed him. His body was found in Kilifi. He was arrested on Friday, nine days ago,” Mr Magolo stated in a text message.
At the moment of his demise, Swaleh was engaged in legal proceedings concerning numerous criminal allegations associated with a large-scale drug trafficking and money laundering enterprise in the coastal region, involving millions of shillings.
He faced charges on October 26, 2018, at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Law Courts in Nairobi for allegedly trafficking 91,738 grams of heroin, estimated to be worth Sh275,214,000.
He and Fatuma Ahmed faced charges of “trafficking by storing” heroin after the police discovered the drug concealed in suitcases and a gunny bag in Kikambala, Kilifi County.
In 2010, Swaleh received a 25-year prison sentence for trafficking five kilograms of heroin. In 2011 and 2013, he faced additional drug trafficking charges at the Mombasa Law Courts, but he successfully defended himself in both cases and was acquitted.
In 1996, he was initially found guilty of heroin trafficking and received a 15-year prison term. He was then transferred to Mombasa’s Shimo La Tewa Prison.
Swaleh was sentenced to a decade in prison on March 8, 2023, following his conviction for engaging in money laundering.
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Following the discovery of their involvement in a deal to purchase four vehicles totaling Sh7.6 million on February 4, 2017, using funds derived from drug trafficking, this occurred after the revelation about him and his wife, Asma Abdalla Mohamed.
According to court documents, the offenders bought two vehicles within a few months and used Sh6.2 million to hide the origin of the funds.
Swaleh’s passing signifies the conclusion of a significant period for someone poised to assume control of Ibrahim Akasha’s narcotics operation following the extradition of his sons, Baktash and Ibrahim Akasha, to the US to stand trial for drug trafficking.
Subsequently, they received prison terms of 25 and 23 years, respectively.
Swaleh had emerged as a prominent figure in the drug trade along the Coast, evidenced by the frequency of drug-related cases and the significant worth of the substances he allegedly trafficked.
The baron, who had fallen from grace and been incarcerated, was inexplicably set free from prison multiple times, despite his prior conviction.
The ability of him to repeatedly regain his freedom puzzled numerous individuals, including security personnel stationed at the Coast.
The individual who passed away is the initial high-profile drug trafficking suspect to be fatally harmed during President William Ruto’s tenure in the Kenya Kwanza administration.
Despite Dr. Ruto’s assurances that his administration would not condone extrajudicial killings, emphasizing its commitment to the rule of law and equitable justice, such incidents persist.
Swaleh’s killing occurred shortly after the national government, under the leadership of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, initiated a campaign to combat drug trafficking along the Coast, merely a month earlier.
Akasha Drug Empire Heir Found Dead After ‘Abduction’: Mystery Surrounds Yusuf Swaleh’s Fate
