A multi-agency team led by the Kenya Navy has intercepted a vessel in the Indian Ocean carrying methamphetamine worth over Sh8.2 billion and arrested six Iranian nationals on board.
The team also comprised the Kenya Coast Guard Service (KCGS), Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) Anti Narcotics Unit (ANU), and Nacada.
Navy Deputy Commander Brigadier Sankale Kisua said the vessel, christened Mashallah, was intercepted about 630 kilometres east of Mombasa during an intelligence-driven mission dubbed Operation Bahari Safi.
Six Iranian nationals were on board when the ship was seized and escorted to the Mombasa Port.
“For the last four days, we’ve been conducting an operation code-named Operation Bahari Safi, where the Kenya Navy was able to intercept this suspicious vessel,” Brig. Kisua said.
A detailed search by the multi-agency team, which included Nacada officers, uncovered a consignment of synthetic narcotics weighing approximately 1,024 kilograms (1.24 tonnes) concealed in sacks.
Brig. Kisua commended the cooperation between Kenyan and regional security agencies, noting that the vessel had been under international surveillance for suspected involvement in illicit trafficking across the Western Indian Ocean.
“This success was made possible through valuable intelligence shared by our regional partners,” he said.
The DCI Director, Mohammed Amin, also confirmed the operation, saying, “Investigations are underway to determine the source and intended destination of 769 packages containing a crystalline substance, identified as methamphetamine.”
The six Iranians are being processed and will be arraigned in court on Monday.
Kenya Coast Guard Service (KCGS) said the operation highlights the impact of collaborative enforcement against transnational organized crime.
“KCGS commends inter-agency synergy and global cooperation in disrupting maritime drug trafficking while securing Kenya’s territorial waters,” it said in a statement.
