A multi-agency security team led by the Kenya Navy has seized a consignment of synthetic methamphetamine valued at KSh8.2 billion in a major operation conducted in the high seas off the Kenyan coast.
The drugs were found aboard a stateless vessel named Mashallah, intercepted about 630 kilometres east of Mombasa during a four-day maritime security operation dubbed Operation Bahari Safi.
Kenya Navy Leads High-Seas Drug Bust
Kenya Navy Deputy Commander Brigadier Sankale Kisua confirmed that six Iranian nationals were aboard the vessel when it was intercepted and escorted to Mombasa Port on Friday evening.
“For the last four days, we’ve been conducting an operation code-named Operation Bahari Safi, where the Kenya Navy intercepted this suspicious vessel about 630km east of Mombasa,” Brigadier Kisua said.
A thorough search by the multi-agency security team — comprising officers from the Kenya Coast Guard Service, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), and the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) — uncovered 1,024 kilograms (1.24 tonnes) of synthetic methamphetamine concealed in sacks.
“This is a big success for the Kenyan security teams,” Brigadier Kisua stated, adding that the operation was made possible through collaboration with regional and international partners who provided critical intelligence.
Six Iranians Arrested, Vessel Under Investigation
According to Brigadier Kisua, the six Iranian nationals will be arraigned in court on Monday, following interrogation and processing by investigative authorities.
DCI Director Mohammed Amin confirmed that the vessel had been under surveillance by the international community due to its suspected involvement in narcotics trafficking across the Western Indian Ocean.
“It is not yet clear where the consignment originated or its intended destination since the vessel was stateless and carried no flag,” Amin said.
The vessel, which was also nicknamed Igol, was escorted under heavy security to Mombasa, where forensic and chemical analyses are being conducted to verify the type and purity of the seized narcotics.
Regional and International Cooperation Key to Success
Authorities said the successful interception demonstrates the effectiveness of Kenya’s multi-agency maritime surveillance framework, developed in partnership with regional security blocs and international counter-narcotics agencies.
The Operation Bahari Safi task force continues to monitor maritime routes in the Western Indian Ocean, which have increasingly become transit corridors for synthetic drugs destined for East Africa and Europe.
This seizure is one of Kenya’s largest maritime narcotics busts in recent years, underscoring the country’s growing vigilance against international drug trafficking syndicates.
Read more:
- DCI Kenya Official Updates
- NACADA – Drug Control in Kenya
- Related: Inside Kenya’s growing war on narcotics
