Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has announced the government's intentions to burn the major narcotics consignment worth Ksh8 billion nabbed in a coordinated multi-agency operation in the Indian Ocean.
Murkomen, while speaking during a church service in Kisumu County on Sunday, October 26, reiterated the government's commitment to curbing illicit substances, particularly from international channels.
The CS further revealed that following the nabbing of a consignment weighing 1,024 kilograms, the government would publicly destroy the substances to make a statement on the fight against illicit substances.
"As you saw yesterday, our multi-agency team caught wind of substances which were being ferried by Iranians on our waters," Murkomen said.
"The suspects will be taken to court, and very soon you will see us destroying those illicit substances because we have resolved our nations to fight all kinds of vices destroying our people."
In a subsequent official statement, Murkomen confirmed that six Iranian nationals were in police custody and were under investigation.
Initial forensic tests confirmed that the substance, which was found on the Iranian nationals, was methamphetamine with 98 per cent purity. It reportedly has a street value of Ksh8 billion.
Notably, the seizure of the methamphetamine was one of the biggest interceptions of substances in Kenya's history, pointing to a renewed crackdown on foreign narcotic syndicates targeting the Kenyan corridors along the Indian Ocean.
The boat was put on radar by Kenyan security agencies after regional and international partners alerted them about a suspicious boat roaming in the Western Indian Ocean.
DCI Director Mohamed Amin said that after the vessel was impounded, security agencies obtained a court order allowing them to inspect its contents.
Following the bust, which took collaborative effort from different agencies, Murkomen reiterated that the government was tightening its maritime surveillance and security coordination to avert similar incidents.
The CS also assured the government would collaborate with international partners to disrupt wider criminal networks.
