Following the seizure of a major narcotics consignment weighing a total of 1,024 kilograms, estimated to have a street value of approximately Sh8 billion, the State has reaffirmed its commitment to dismantling transnational organized crime networks.
This comes after a multi-agency operation on Saturday, October 25, 2025, that led to the interception of a stateless vessel identified as MV Ighol, approximately 630 kilometres east of Mombasa, following actionable intelligence.
In a statement on Sunday, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, who also confirmed the seizure, said authorities are progressively heightening the multi-agency security coordination framework and vigilance of Kenya's maritime surveillance systems.
“We also remain steadfast in our commitment to strengthen inter-agency cooperation, enhance maritime and border security, and reinforce partnerships with regional and global allies to combat the production, movement, and financing of illicit substances,” Murkomen said.
Murkomen stated that the six Iranian nationals aboard the stateless vessel remain in lawful custody, are currently under interrogation and will be arraigned in court once preliminary investigations are concluded
“Initial tests confirmed the substance to be methamphetamine with 98 percent purity, and it is presently undergoing further forensic analysis and documentation,” said the CS.
He added that the State will work in collaboration with other international partners to trace and disrupt the wider criminal network associated with the seizure.
The operation comprised teams from the Kenya Navy, Kenya Coast Guard Service (KCGS), Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) Anti-Narcotics Unit (ANU), and Nacada.
