The Kenya Navy has intercepted a stateless dhow carrying over one tonne of methamphetamine in a major maritime operation off the coast of Mombasa.
The vessel, codenamed IGOR, was seized about 630 kilometres east of the Kenyan coastline after months of international surveillance.
The narcotics, weighing 1,024 kilograms and valued at approximately 8.2 billion shillings, mark one of the largest drug busts in Kenya’s maritime history.
The dhow had repeatedly eluded authorities before its capture under Operation Bahari Safi 2025.01, a joint effort between Kenyan and regional partners under the Safe Seas Africa Programme.
Brigadier Sankale Kiswaa, the Deputy Commander of the Kenya Navy and head of the multi agency task force, said the interception demonstrates Kenya’s growing capacity to police its territorial waters and combat transnational crime.
“The Kenya Navy successfully intercepted a vessel of interest suspected of involvement in narcotics trafficking,” he said.
The Kenya Navy Ship Shupavu led the operation, coordinating with the Regional Coordination Operations Centre in Seychelles and the Regional Maritime Information Fusion Centre in Madagascar.
Surveillance support was provided by the Republic of Seychelles through maritime patrol aircraft.
After the interception, KNS Shupavu escorted the dhow and its six crew members to Mombasa Port, where they were handed over to a multi agency investigation team.
Authorities have secured court warrants for inspection and testing of the narcotics.
Officials say the seizure underscores the importance of regional intelligence sharing in the fight against narcotics smuggling routes that crisscross the Western Indian Ocean.
The successful capture of IGOR represents a major step in Kenya’s efforts to tighten maritime security and disrupt international drug trafficking networks operating in African waters.
