Court Orders Destruction of Vessel Linked to Ksh 8.2B Meth Cargo

A Kenyan court has ordered the destruction of a stateless vessel intercepted in the Indian Ocean carrying methamphetamine worth Ksh8.2 billion. The case marks one of the largest maritime drug seizures recorded along the Kenyan coast.

The Kenya Navy led a multi-agency operation that intercepted the vessel, identified as Igor, after intelligence linked it to a transnational drug trafficking route operating through the Indian Ocean. Officers stopped the ship about 630 kilometres east of Mombasa and boarded it at sea.

“Inside the vessel, security teams found about 1,024 kilograms of methamphetamine concealed in the cargo area. The discovery immediately triggered investigations into its origin and ownership,” the court stated.

Investigators told the court that the vessel carried no valid registration documents. It also sailed without a national flag. As a result, authorities classified it as a stateless vessel. This allowed them to take control under international maritime law.

In addition, officers told the court that the ship moved in suspicious patterns and appeared structured to avoid detection. These factors strengthened suspicions of organised trafficking activity.

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Six Suspects Arrested at the Sea

Security officers arrested six Iranian nationals on board during the operation. Authorities later charged them in connection with the shipment as investigations continued.

Officials also linked the suspects to a wider international syndicate suspected of using the sea route for drug trafficking.

Government chemists then tested the seized cargo. They confirmed that the substance contained methamphetamine with high purity levels. This finding reinforced the prosecution’s case and confirmed the nature of the shipment.

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Court Orders Destruction of Vessel

After reviewing the evidence, the court ordered the destruction of the vessel. The order followed legal procedures for handling confiscated narcotics and trafficking equipment.

Meanwhile, security agencies continued their investigations. They worked with international partners to trace the source of the shipment and identify the network behind it.

Authorities described the seizure as a breakthrough in efforts to disrupt maritime drug trafficking routes. They also warned that criminal networks continue to exploit sea corridors to move large drug consignments across borders.

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