{"id":4478,"date":"2026-09-24T10:55:49","date_gmt":"2026-09-24T17:55:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/infonews.ca\/news\/7882608\/kenya-destroys-63-million-meth-haul-intercepted-at-sea\/"},"modified":"2026-09-24T10:55:49","modified_gmt":"2026-09-24T17:55:49","slug":"kenya-destroys-63-million-meth-haul-intercepted-at-sea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/infonews.ca\/in420\/news\/4478\/kenya-destroys-63-million-meth-haul-intercepted-at-sea\/","title":{"rendered":"Kenya destroys $63 million meth haul intercepted at sea"},"content":{"rendered":"

MOMBASA, Kenya (AP) \u2014 Kenyan<\/a> authorities on Thursday destroyed a massive haul of methamphetamine<\/a> worth an estimated $63 million, nearly a year after the drugs were intercepted in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Mombasa.<\/p>\n

The consignment, weighing 1,024 kilograms (about 2,257 pounds), was placed in a high-temperature kiln and destroyed as government officials watched.<\/p>\n

Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen oversaw the destruction and warned drug traffickers that authorities would step up efforts to disrupt the illicit trade.<\/p>\n

Murkomen said Kenya was being used both as a \u201ctransit hub\u201d and a \u201cmarket\u201d for illegal drugs, and pledged tougher enforcement to prevent drug trafficking and substance abuse.<\/p>\n

He said suspected traffickers would face prosecution and that authorities would pursue the seizure of property linked to the illegal trade.<\/p>\n

\n \"|\"
Packs of methamphetamine seized by Kenyan authorities are displayed before destruction, in Bamburi Cement Factory, Mombasa, Kenya, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026. (AP Photo\/Biran Wachira)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Kenyan Navy intercepted the consignment on Oct. 25, 2025, about 630 kilometers (391 miles) off the coast of Mombasa in the Indian Ocean<\/a>. The vessel was escorted to port under armed guard.<\/p>\n

Six Iranian nationals arrested aboard the flagless vessel remain in court facing drug-trafficking charges.<\/p>\n

Authorities described the seizure of more than a ton of methamphetamine as a major breakthrough in Kenya\u2019s fight against narcotics trafficking.<\/p>\n

The interception comes as Kenya confronts growing concerns over synthetic drugs, particularly along the coast, where health and law-enforcement officials have reported increasing problems involving methamphetamine and heroin.<\/p>\n

____<\/p>\n

AP\u2019s Africa coverage at: https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/africa<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

MOMBASA, Kenya (AP) \u2014 Kenyan authorities on Thursday destroyed a massive haul of methamphetamine worth an estimated $63 million, nearly a year after the drugs were intercepted in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Mombasa. The consignment, weighing 1,024 kilograms (about 2,257 pounds), was placed in a high-temperature kiln and destroyed as government officials […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":521,"featured_media":4479,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"guid":"3127844b-e855-4b10-8b6f-c4af3b467277","source":"The Associated Press","byline":"","published":"2026-09-24 10:55:49","updated":"2026-09-24 10:55:49","_infotelid":"","_prepressid":"","_multisite_post_sync":"","_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[728,567],"tags":[],"region":[],"class_list":["post-4478","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-international","category-world"],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":8}},"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/infonews.ca\/in420\/news\/4478\/kenya-destroys-63-million-meth-haul-intercepted-at-sea\/","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Kenya destroys $63 million meth haul intercepted at sea","url":"http:\/\/infonews.ca\/in420\/news\/4478\/kenya-destroys-63-million-meth-haul-intercepted-at-sea\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/infonews.ca\/in420\/news\/4478\/kenya-destroys-63-million-meth-haul-intercepted-at-sea\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/infonews.ca\/in420\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/in420-75eac60c24a4702a0e9ae2422315dd08d1a075a7ba37f77d6b7e5b8cc1a46dd5.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/infonews.ca\/in420\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/in420-75eac60c24a4702a0e9ae2422315dd08d1a075a7ba37f77d6b7e5b8cc1a46dd5.jpg"},"articleSection":"International","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"The Associated Press"}],"creator":["The Associated Press"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"iN420","logo":""},"keywords":[],"dateCreated":"2026-09-24T17:55:49Z","datePublished":"2026-09-24T17:55:49Z","dateModified":"2026-09-24T17:55:49Z"},"rendered":"