Kenya’s fight against drug trafficking has received a major boost after security agencies intercepted a vessel in the Indian Ocean carrying methamphetamine worth more than Ksh.8.2 billion.
The operation, led by the Kenya Navy and supported by the Kenya Coast Guard and the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA), resulted in the arrest of six Iranian nationals who were aboard the vessel.
The team acted on intelligence shared by both regional and international partners, who had flagged the suspicious boat moving within the western Indian Ocean.
The vessel was intercepted about 630 kilometres east of Mombasa after being tracked for hours by the Kenya Navy.
According to Deputy Navy Commander Brigadier Sankale Kiswaa, the operation was carried out smoothly without resistance, and the vessel was later escorted to the port of Mombasa.
Once the boat was docked, police obtained court orders to detain it and carry out a thorough search. During the inspection, investigators found hundreds of sacks containing a crystalline substance, which was later confirmed to be methamphetamine.
Director of Criminal Investigations Mohammed Amin said officers discovered 769 packages weighing over 124,000 kilograms of the illegal drug.
Laboratory tests confirmed the substance was methamphetamine with an estimated street value of Ksh.8.2 billion, equivalent to about 63 million US dollars. He described the seizure as one of the largest ever recorded in East Africa, adding that the DCI is working closely with other agencies to establish the source and intended destination of the drugs.
Amin explained that it is still early to determine where the drugs were headed, but evidence suggests they were meant for distribution within the East African region.
He further noted that the vessel was stateless, meaning it was not registered under any country’s flag, making it harder to trace its ownership and operations.
The six Iranian nationals arrested aboard the vessel are currently in custody and are expected to appear in court on Monday. Investigators believe they are part of a larger international drug trafficking network operating across the Indian Ocean route.
The bust comes at a time when Kenyan authorities have stepped up efforts to combat the smuggling of hard drugs through the country’s borders and ports.
Just two weeks earlier, four suspects were arrested at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in connection with another international syndicate accused of using the airport to move cocaine. They were charged in court and remanded pending the hearing of their case.
Authorities say the latest seizure sends a strong message to drug traffickers that Kenya will not tolerate the use of its territory for illegal trade. Security agencies have vowed to continue working together to track down all individuals connected to the network behind the intercepted vessel, marking a major victory in the region’s ongoing war against narcotics.
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