Mogadishu — The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) has issued a security warning to commercial vessels transiting near the Somali coast after reports of suspicious activity involving sailboats believed to be linked to Iran-backed smuggling networks.
In a statement released late Thursday, UKMTO said it had received information about “unusual maritime movements” near Gara’ad, approximately 106 nautical miles off the coastal town of Eyl in northeastern Somalia.
Local security forces reportedly intercepted one of the two suspect vessels, while the other managed to escape, the statement added.
“Investigations are ongoing,” UKMTO said, urging all merchant ships operating near Somali and regional waters to “maintain heightened vigilance” and promptly report any suspicious activity to UKMTO or the Somali Maritime Operations Center.
Recent intelligence reports have suggested that the vessels may be part of a smuggling network trafficking weapons and narcotics to Yemen’s Houthis — a group closely aligned with Iran.
Security analysts say cooperation between the Houthis and Somalia’s Al-Qaeda affiliate, Al-Shabaab, appears to be expanding.
They warn that, as direct maritime routes between Iran and Yemen come under tighter surveillance, Iran-backed and jihadist-linked smuggling networks are increasingly using the Somali and Sudanese coasts as staging points for arms and drug shipments.
Experts describe the trend as a “growing maritime security threat” in the Horn of Africa and the wider Red Sea region.
