Fresh details have emerged showing how INTERPOL and the United States government played a crucial role in helping the Kenya Navy intercept a dhow carrying Ksh8.4 billion worth of methamphetamine off the coast of Mombasa.
The high-stakes operation took place on October 21, when the Navy cornered six Iranian nationals believed to be part of a transnational drug trafficking syndicate.
The interception followed weeks of coordinated intelligence-sharing between the Regional Narcotics Interagency Fusion Cell (RNIFC) in Bahrain and the Regional Coordination Operations Centre (RCOC) in Seychelles.
According to INTERPOL, its maritime officers closely supported the mission by overseeing the search, securing the scene, and ensuring proper evidence handling for future prosecution.
“The coordinated operation was conducted with significant logistical and intelligence support from the United States,” INTERPOL’s marine division said in a statement on Tuesday, October 28.
Two officers from the US Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) also joined the Kenyan team, assisting with crew communication and ship inspection during the search.
Following the international collaboration, a multi-agency task force was formed under the leadership of the Kenya Navy Deputy Commander to oversee the final phase of the operation.
Three days after receiving actionable intelligence, the dhow was seized near the Kilindini Port, where officers recovered drugs valued at over Ksh8 billion ($63 million).
The six Iranian suspects were arrested on Friday, October 24, in a joint security operation involving the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Directorate of Immigration Services (DIS), Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA), Kenya Coast Guard Service (KCGS), NACADA, and the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA).
They were arraigned in court on Tuesday, October 28, where prosecutors sought more time to complete investigations.
The court ordered that the suspects be detained for 30 days at the Port Police Station pending further directions.
Investigators have also been authorised to send the seized substances to the Government Chemist for analysis and to conduct forensic examinations of the suspects’ mobile phones at DCI headquarters.