MOMBASA, Kenya- Kenyan authorities have destroyed more than one tonne of methamphetamine valued at Sh8.2 billion, nearly a year after the drugs were intercepted in the Indian Ocean.
The narcotics were incinerated at the Bamburi Cement Factory in Mombasa on Thursday under the supervision of the Shanzu court.
The consignment comprised 769 packages that were counted, weighed and tested before destruction. Samples selected from 10 packages were subjected to preliminary testing by the Government Chemist in the presence of the court.
The drugs were seized in October 2025 after a multi-agency security operation intercepted a stateless dhow hundreds of kilometres off the Kenyan coast.
The Kenya Navy said its ship, KNS Shupavu, intercepted the vessel during an operation codenamed Bahari Safi.
The haul was estimated to contain 1,024 kilogrammes of methamphetamine, with six crew members arrested.
Court records subsequently placed the quantity linked to the trafficking case at 1,036.044 kilogrammes.
Six Iranian nationals are facing proceedings before the Shanzu Law Courts over the seizure.
The destruction marked the final disposal of the physical exhibits as investigations and court proceedings targeting the suspected trafficking network continued.
Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said the operation demonstrated Kenya’s resolve to dismantle drug-trafficking networks, block smuggling routes and seize criminal proceeds.
He said security agencies were tightening surveillance at border points and pursuing individuals involved in the manufacture, storage and distribution of narcotics and illicit alcohol.
“If we find you storing drugs or illicit substances, we will not only destroy the product, but we will also take over the land and the factory used to process it,” the Cabinet Secretary said.
The operation involved the National Police Service, Kenya Defence Forces, National Intelligence Service, Kenya Coast Guard Service, Kenya Revenue Authority and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations.
Other participating agencies included NACADA, the Financial Reporting Centre, Kenya Bureau of Standards, Anti-Counterfeit Authority, Assets Recovery Agency and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the United States government also supported the operation and related investigations.
Kenya has increasingly faced pressure from international narcotics networks exploiting Indian Ocean trafficking routes. The intercepted vessel was about 630 kilometres east of Mombasa when security forces seized the methamphetamine.
Authorities said the crackdown would focus on dismantling entire trafficking networks rather than limiting enforcement to the seizure and destruction of illegal drugs.
