UNODC: Beneath the surface: How Yemen is disrupting drug trafficking in the Red Sea

Aden, Yemen, 26 June 2026

Thirty-one packages. Four hundred and thirty-two kilograms of methamphetamine. One dhow intercepted along Yemen’s Red Sea coast.

The figures tell only part of the story. On 4 September 2025, the Yemen Coast Guard and the National Resistance Forces conducted a joint operation in the Al Mokha and Al Khokha area of the Red Sea District, targeting a dhow moving through one of the world’s busiest maritime corridors. From the surface, the vessel could have appeared like any other dhow at sea. But a detailed search confirmed what had been concealed beneath the surface: a major shipment of illicit drugs, 31 packages of methamphetamine weighing a total of 432 kilograms.

The interdiction prevented a significant shipment from continuing through regional waters and demonstrated how a seizure off Yemen’s coast can have wider regional impact. Traffickers exploit legitimate maritime traffic to move narcotics, using dhows, fishing boats and small vessels to blend in. Drugs may be hidden among cargo, inside concealed compartments or in packaging designed to frustrate inspection.

This reflects the World Drug Day theme, “World drug problem: persisting issues, new challenges, innovative responses.” While trafficking routes remain persistent, criminal networks continue to adapt their methods. Stopping drugs before they reach shore is therefore part of a wider effort to protect people from the consequences of the drug trade, including drug use, violence, insecurity and the profits that allow organized criminal networks to grow.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), through its Global Maritime Crime Programme, supports the Yemen Coast Guard in strengthening maritime responses to drug trafficking in the Red Sea. This support is funded by the European Union through the Regional Programme on Maritime Security in the Red Sea and the Crisis Response Project, with additional contributions from the United States Department of State’s Export Control and Related Border Security (EXBS) Programme, the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (UK FCDO), and the Government of Japan.

In Yemen, UNODC support combines practical training, mentoring and technical assistance to strengthen maritime domain awareness, boarding and search procedures, operational planning, patrol-boat maintenance and evidence handling. It also supports an annual national coordination meeting, bringing together maritime and security authorities to share information, discuss emerging threats and improve joint responses to drug trafficking.

“Drug trafficking at sea has consequences far beyond the vessel itself. It fuels organized crime, threatens communities and undermines regional security. UNODC’s work in Yemen is critical because it helps national authorities act before illicit drugs reach shore, where the harm is much harder to reverse,” said Omar Alodat, UNODC Programme Officer.

The importance of these capabilities was again visible on 30 October 2025, when the Yemen Coast Guard, working in coordination with local security authorities, intercepted a small boat carrying a large quantity of narcotics. Four Yemeni smugglers were apprehended. During the search, officers uncovered 139 bags of narcotic pills concealed inside thermal packaging. The concealment method showed how drug-trafficking networks continue to adapt and why officers need practical search skills to recognize when a vessel or its cargo is not what it first appears to be.

But an interdiction does not end when the drugs are found. To hold those responsible accountable, evidence must be identified, documented and secured correctly. UNODC training helps connect boarding and search operations at sea with investigations and legal proceedings on shore. Each shipment intercepted disrupts trafficking routes, reduces profits for organized criminal networks and supports efforts to pursue those behind the trade. In the Red Sea, protecting communities begins before drugs reach shore. It begins with trained officers, coordinated institutions and justice systems capable of holding traffickers accountable. 

For more information, please contact:

Mr. Mostafa Elbanna (Mostafa.Elbanna@un.org)