In a major multinational operation, a stateless dhow long hunted by international agencies was intercepted 630km off the volatile waters of the Mombasa coast, leading to one of the largest drug seizures in the region.
MOMBASA, Kenya, October, 26th– The Kenya Navy has dealt a significant blow to international narcotics trafficking, intercepting a non-registered dhow and seizing 1,024 kilograms of methamphetamine with an estimated street value of Sh8.2 billion.
The seizure occurred approximately 630 kilometres east of the Mombasa Coast. The vessel, codenamed ‘IGOR’, was a stateless dhow that had been under the surveillance of international drug enforcement agencies and had repeatedly evaded prior crackdowns.
“The Kenya Navy successfully intercepted a vessel of interest codenamed IGOR suspected of involvement in narcotics trafficking,” confirmed the Deputy Commander of the Kenya Navy, Brigadier Sankale Kiswaa, who is the multi-agency team leader.
The high-seas operation, codenamed BAHARI SAFI 2025.01, was conducted under the umbrella of the Safe Seas Africa (SSA) Programme. The Kenya Navy deployed the Kenya Navy Ship (KNS) SHUPAVU to locate and intercept the stateless vessel. Success was achieved through close regional coordination.
The operation was conducted in concert with the Regional Coordination Operations Centre (RCOC) in Seychelles and the Regional Maritime Information Fusion Centre (RMIFC) in Madagascar. The Republic of Seychelles provided critical maritime surveillance support through a Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA). Following the interception, KNS SHUPAVU escorted the captured dhow and its crew to Mombasa port.
The vessel and six suspects were formally handed over to a multi-agency security team for further investigation and prosecution. The authorities have since obtained court warrants to facilitate a thorough inspection and laboratory testing of the seized narcotics.
