Kenya’s waters have been the scene of major drug interdictions, with the Kenya Navy playing a central role in stopping illicit shipments. The latest operation saw a dhow carrying methamphetamine worth Ksh8.2 billion intercepted 630 kilometres east of the Mombasa coast.

The vessel, codenamed IGOR, carried 1,024 kilograms of meth hidden in 769 packages. Six foreign nationals were arrested during the operation, conducted under the Safe Seas Africa (SSA) Programme and coordinated with regional partners in Seychelles and Madagascar.

This seizure is among the largest in Kenya’s history, but it is not the first time the Kenya Navy has stopped massive drug shipments. Past instances illustrate the Navy’s ongoing role in safeguarding Kenya’s maritime borders.

1. October 2025 – IGOR dhow

The latest interception involved a dhow carrying 1,024 kilograms of methamphetamine worth Ksh8.2 billion, 630 kilometres east of Mombasa. Six foreign nationals were arrested. The operation, codenamed BAHARI SAFI 2025.01, deployed KNS Shupavu and was coordinated with regional agencies in Seychelles and Madagascar. This is one of the largest seizures in Kenya’s history.

2. August 2014 – MV Al Noor

In August 2014, the Kenya Navy intercepted the vessel MV Al Noor off the coast of Mombasa. Inside, a consignment of 370.8 kilograms of heroin worth Ksh1.4 billion was discovered, stashed in the vessel’s fuel tanks.

The drugs were seized from the 1,800 liters of the ship’s diesel reservoir on July 15, 2014, where they were concealed when it was intercepted off the Kenyan coast in Lamu by Kenya navy officers. The ship was later publicly destroyed at sea on the orders of President Uhuru Kenyatta to send a strong message against drug trafficking.

3. April 2014 – HMAS Darwin intercepts heroin

While not a Kenya Navy operation, the Royal Australian Navy frigate, HMAS Darwin, intercepted a dhow carrying over one tonne of heroin off the coast of Mombasa in April 2014. This operation underscored the use of the route for massive heroin consignments and highlighted the importance of international cooperation in combating drug trafficking.

Maritime drug threats and oversight challenges

The Kenya Navy’s interception of the IGOR dhow carrying 1,024 kilograms of methamphetamine worth Ksh8.2 billion highlights the scale of maritime drug trafficking in Kenyan waters.

This operation, one of the largest in the country’s history, follows past seizures such as the MV Al Noor heroin bust in 2014 and the HMAS Darwin interception. These are not the only instances; several other major drug hauls have been stopped over the years that we have not detailed here.

Despite these successes, gaps in coordination and enforcement remain a serious concern.

Nyali MP Mohammed Ali has called for the public destruction of seized vessels and greater transparency to prevent drugs from reaching the wrong hands. He also criticised the Ministry of Blue Economy for delays in implementing seafarer recruitment plans and issuing identification documents.