Kenya seizes $27 million crystal meth haul

Kenyan authorities seized 454 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine worth $27 million in a multi-agency operation, police said Monday.

The raid took place on Saturday along the Kenyan coast after a tip-off from Tanzanian authorities, who had arrested a suspect in a separate drug bust. Three suspects, two Tanzanians and a Ugandan, were arrested during the operation.

Kenya's Director of Criminal Investigations Mohamed Amin displayed the seized drugs to journalists and described the seizure as an operational breakthrough. He said it showed the importance of intelligence-led investigations and cross-border cooperation.

Prosecutors told a court the three suspects were a flight risk and secured a 15-day detention order.

Kenya has long been used as a transit route for narcotics because of its location next to the Indian Ocean, and authorities have stepped up anti-trafficking efforts in recent years. The seizure comes a year after Kenya confiscated 1,036 kilograms of methamphetamine in what was then the largest drug haul in its history.

Between January and October 2026, Kenya arrested 1,631 people in connection with narcotics offences and seized drugs worth millions of dollars.