Frontier Correspondent
Mombasa, Kenya.
In one of Kenya’s largest-ever narcotics busts, a multi-agency security team has seized 1,024 kilograms of methamphetamine valued at Sh8.2 billion and arrested six Iranian nationals in a dramatic operation in the Indian Ocean, about 630 kilometers east of Mombasa.
The joint operation, comprising the Kenya Navy, Kenya Coast Guard Service, Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), and the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA), was launched following actionable intelligence that led to the interception of a stateless vessel, MV Igol (also known as Mashallah). A detailed search uncovered 769 packages of crystal meth concealed in hidden compartments.
Confirming the operation, Kenya Navy Deputy Commander Brigadier Sankale Kisua and DCI Director Mohammed Amin said the six suspects were taken into custody and will be arraigned on Monday, October 28, 2025. Investigations are ongoing to unmask the international syndicate behind the massive haul.
“This seizure sends a strong message to drug traffickers attempting to exploit our coastal routes,” said DCI Director Amin.
“Kenya’s enhanced cooperation with regional and international partners is proving critical in securing our maritime borders,” added Amin.
Preliminary intelligence suggests that the vessel was transiting through Kenyan waters en route to overseas markets. Forensic tests are underway to determine the drugs’ source and intended destination.
Authorities have hailed the operation as a major victory in Kenya’s ongoing fight against transnational organized crime and the rising menace of synthetic narcotics in East Africa.