MOMBASA, Kenya- A senior officer from the Kenya Navy has told a Mombasa court that a dhow intercepted in the Indian Ocean carrying narcotics worth Sh8.2 billion was a stateless vessel, placing it squarely within the scope of international maritime enforcement.
Testifying before Chief Magistrate Anthony Wacigi at the Shanzu Law Courts, Major Mohamed Abdulrahman said the vessel, identified as MV Igor, had long been on the radar of regional intelligence agencies over suspected drug trafficking activities across East Africa and the Horn of Africa.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, with Deputy Director Joseph Kimanthi and Principal Prosecution Counsel Alex Ndiema leading the proceedings.
According to Abdulrahman, MV Igor was one of two foreign vessels flagged by a regional maritime security team tasked with combating illegal activities in the Indian Ocean.
The second vessel, MV Chevy, reportedly evaded capture after heading towards the Strait of Hormuz.
The court heard that MV Igor had allegedly offloaded part of its consignment in Maputo, Mozambique, in June 2025 before being tracked and intercepted approximately 350 nautical miles off the Kenyan coast.
The dhow bore Arabic inscriptions but lacked a cargo manifest, flag, or registration documents, characteristics that led authorities to classify it as stateless under international maritime law, making it liable to interception.
A second prosecution witness, the commanding officer of the Kenya Navy warship KNS Jasiri, told the court that the vessel was intercepted on October 15, 2025, following intelligence reports indicating it was trafficking narcotics southwards along the East African coastline.
Upon approach, the dhow failed to respond to radio calls and horn signals. Six individuals later emerged from the wheelhouse and were ordered, using hand signals, to move to the front of the vessel and surrender.
“They complied and were restrained before a search was conducted,” the officer testified.
The search led to the recovery of a crystalline white substance packed in small containers.
The six suspects, identified as Iranian nationals, allegedly told officers the substance was “ice,” a common street name for methamphetamine.
Authorities also recovered five mobile phones, a Thuraya satellite phone, multiple SIM cards, four identification cards with Arabic inscriptions, and two ATM cards, all of which were presented in court as exhibits.
The hearing is set to continue on Thursday, April 9, 2026, with the court expected to visit the Kenya Navy Headquarters where the seized drugs are being held as part of the evidentiary process.
The case remains one of the largest drug seizures in Kenya’s history and underscores growing concerns over the use of the Indian Ocean as a transit route for international narcotics trafficking.
