Aden (South24 Center)

---

Southern Armed Forces announced on Wednesday (October 22) that they had thwarted a major maritime smuggling operation with the seizure of an Iranian vessel carrying a guided missile and spare parts for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) headed for Houthi-controlled areas. 

The ship was also carrying a cargo of foodstuffs and medical supplies all made in Iran.

 

A statement issued by the Joint Security Campaign in Al-Sabiha and Ras Al-Ara districts said the operation took place early Wednesday following precise monitoring and tracking of the vessel’s movements as it attempted to infiltrate southern territorial waters.

 

The statement added that units from the naval and security forces intercepted and inspected the vessel, and arrested eight individuals who were on board. The ship and the seized materials have been taken into custody pending completion of legal investigations.

 

According to a security source, the vessel had departed from Iran’s Bandar Abbas Port and was linked to a senior Houthi leader. An inspection of the ship revealed an empty secret compartment believed to have been used on earlier occasions too to unload an arms shipment at sea and transfer it to smuggling boats affiliated with the Houthi militia.

 

The statement noted that the seized items included an anti-tank Kornet missile, operational components, engines, and connectors used for drones, as well as eight boxes of Iranian-made medicines produced by CinnaGen, including Pectuna® Pertuzumab 420 mg, a cancer treatment drug. The shipment also contained food and consumer products of the Iranian brand Kahnoosh.

 

Southern forces affirmed that the operation represents a significant blow to Iranian smuggling networks that supply the Houthi group with weapons and military equipment through maritime routes and coastal areas.