A breakthrough in the fight against transnational organized crime and drug trafficking has been recorded after a multi-agency operation intercepted 1,024 kilograms of methamphetamine worth Sh8.2 billion aboard a stateless vessel in the Indian Ocean.
Methamphetamine, a powerful synthetic stimulant typically manufactured in illegal laboratories, appears as a powder, tablet, or crystal. It induces intense euphoria and heightened physical and mental stimulation.
The stateless vessel, christened Igor, which had long been on the radar of international authorities for suspected narcotics trafficking in the Western Indian Ocean, was found with six Iranian crew members.
The suspects have been processed and are expected to be arraigned in court on Monday as investigations into the massive drug haul continue.
The multi-agency team comprised officers from the Kenya Navy, Kenya Coast Guard Service, the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA), and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
Deputy Commander of the Kenya Navy, Brigadier Sankale Kiswaa, who led the operation codenamed Bahari Safi, said the suspicious vessel was intercepted about 630 kilometers east of Mombasa on October 23.
Brig. Kiswaa disclosed that the operation was conducted seamlessly on 23rd October, and the vessel was escorted to the Port of Mombasa, where a team of multi-agency Officers have been able to carry out a thorough search and inspection.
“We have been able to find a huge consignment of narcotics weighing about 1024 kilograms. I am told the value is about Sh8.2 billion or thereabout. This is a very big success; this has come about with the cooperation with other regional partners that were able to provide very valuable information on the movement of this suspicious vessel,” he stated.
DCI Director Mohamed Amin said the vessel had a huge consignment of suspected synthetic drugs, and DCI made a miscellaneous application for detention and search of the vessel.
“Whereupon, we were able to discover 769 packages of crystalline substance that were weighing approximately 1024 kilograms, which came out to be methamphetamine,” said Amin.
He divulged that preliminary tests conducted by the government chemist confirmed that the substance was methamphetamine – a synthetic drug.
“The presumptive sampling indicated that it was 98 per cent pure, almost 100 per cent. That was a huge success in our fight against transnational organized crime and in our fight against narcotic drugs in the region and continent,” said Amin.
“This operation demonstrates the commitment of our law enforcement agencies in terms of combating drug trafficking and ensuring our national security. It also demonstrates our Kenya Navy’s of ensuring our maritime security,” he added.
By Sadik Hassan
