Kenya to publicly destroy Ksh8.2 billion meth shipment as six Iranians face trial over Indian Ocean seizure

Kenya will publicly destroy methamphetamine worth Ksh8.2 billion seized in a high-stakes maritime operation that saw six Iranian nationals arrested off the Indian Ocean coast, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has announced.

The massive drug haul, intercepted aboard a stateless dhow christened MV Ighol, has once again placed Kenya under global scrutiny as a key transit route exploited by international narcotics cartels targeting European and American markets.

Speaking during a church service on Sunday, Murkomen said the meth consignment will first be presented in court before being destroyed in an open and transparent process.

“Through the determination of President William Ruto, supported by our army, police, and Coast Guard, we have intercepted drugs linked to ISIS, operated by Iranians near our waters. Those drugs will go to court together with the suspects, and thereafter, we shall destroy them in the open,” Murkomen said.

The Interior CS reaffirmed that the government will not relent in its crackdown on narcotics and other illicit substances that endanger the lives and dignity of Kenyans.

“As a nation, we have resolved to stand firm against drugs, illicit alcohol, and all other vices eroding the moral fabric of our society,” he said.

According to Murkomen, preliminary tests conducted by government chemists confirmed that the seized substance is methamphetamine with a purity of 98 percent. Further forensic analysis and documentation are underway before the destruction exercise.

He credited the multi-agency operation led by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) with support from the Kenya Navy, the Kenya Coast Guard Service, the National Intelligence Service, the Kenya Ports Authority, and the Kenya Revenue Authority as a major step in dismantling transnational organized crime networks.

“This operation is part of our contribution to global efforts to combat drug trafficking, terrorism financing, and illicit financial flows,” Murkomen said.

Authorities confirmed that six Iranian nationals were arrested aboard the dhow and are currently in lawful custody at the Port Police Station in Mombasa. They are expected to be arraigned in court once investigations are completed.

The dhow was intercepted about 630 kilometres east of Mombasa by a joint security team and escorted to the port for processing. Investigators are probing the precise location of the interception and whether it occurred within Kenyan territorial waters.

Sources indicate the drugs likely originated from the Golden Triangle region in Southeast Asia a hub for synthetic drug production and were destined for African ports before being repackaged for shipment to Europe and North America.

Maritime experts say the MV Ighol interception underscores the increasing sophistication of transnational crime syndicates exploiting gaps in global maritime surveillance systems.

A 2024 report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) warned that crystal meth from Southeast Asia is increasingly being trafficked into Africa through the Indian Ocean, posing a growing threat to regional security and public health.