Kenya seizes over one tonne of meth in Indian ocean bust

Kenyan authorities have intercepted a massive drug shipment in a high-seas operation supported by INTERPOL, seizing more than one tonne of methamphetamine and arresting six suspects aboard a flagless vessel.

The bust took place on October 21 this year, when the Kenyan Navy stopped a dhow about 340 nautical miles east of Mombasa. The interception followed intelligence shared between the Regional Narcotics Interagency Fusion Cell in Bahrain and the Regional Coordination Operations Centre (RCOC) in Seychelles.

The vessel was escorted to Mombasa three days later, where a multi-agency command centre was set up, chaired by the Deputy Commander of the Kenyan Navy.

INTERPOL played a key role in coordinating the search, ensuring evidence handling met international standards, and overseeing cooperation between agencies.

Authorities discovered 769 packets of crystal meth weighing 1,024 kilograms. Tests by Kenya’s Government Chemist confirmed the drug’s purity at 98%, with an estimated street value of KES 8 billion (USD 63 million).

The six crew members on board were arrested and now face drug trafficking charges. Kenya’s Anti-Narcotics Unit has taken over the investigation.