In 2006, a saga involving two foreign mercenaries made headlines in Kenya with accusations of criminality. While posing as serious businessmen and investors, Artur Margaryan and Artur Sargsyan sparked curious conversations across the country, with rumors that the two were linked to a high-level drug trafficking network.
Despite denying claims of criminality and emphasizing that they were in Kenya for business purposes, subsequent investigations proved otherwise. It was later discovered that even with their Armenian passports, they had been deported from Dubai in 1994.
A few months later, another red flag was raised, revealing that even their Armenian nationality was fake.
According to a report by WikiLeaks, their presence in Kenya was not accidental. The two mercenaries were hired to regain KSh 6 billion worth of cocaine that had been seized by police, back in 2004.
Through their powerful networks in the government, their task was to access and repatriate the drugs that were guarded by Kenya’s anti-narcotics body.
Further investigation revealed that their arrival in Kenya in late 2005 had been initiated by a powerful Kenyan businessman. This is perhaps the reason why they were allowed to have valid Kenyan passports and free access to the airport.
Worst of all, despite owning dangerous firearms, one of them was unbelievably termed an assistant commissioner of police.
This underwater saga culminated when the two mercenaries were reported to have raided one of Kenya’s top media stations, the Standard Media Group.
Here, Kenya’s opposition cited top-office attempt to conceal sensitive information. Their stint came to an end months later after they harassed and assaulted workers at JKIA, at which point they were deported.
According to a recent probe by the Kiruki Commission, these two mercenaries even enjoyed the privilege of tax free importation. Today, 20 years after it happened, the real color of the saga continues to flabbergast Kenyans.
