Kenya: Navy destroy ship carrying heroin worth $15 million

A cloud of smoke and dust from the drug laden vessel, the MV Al Noor explodes after it was destroyed by the Kenya Navy. PHOTO/Laban Walloga/Daily Nation

Kenya on Friday destroyed a ship laden with heroin valued at US$15 million.

The vessel – MV Al Noor which had been impounded in June this year was destroyed in the high seas in a clear sign of the Kenyatta administration’s tough stand against drug trafficking.

The east African nation’s port city of Mombasa has been cited in numerous reports as a transit point for drugs headed to Europe and Asia.

According to officials, the vessel which was laden with 371kg (820lbs) was destroyed 33 kilometers (20 miles) from shore. The exercise was carried out by Kenya Navy Explosive Ordinance Disposal team while the Kenya Air Force patrolled the airspace to guarantee aerial and marine safety.