In a significant interception operation, the UK’s Royal Navy seized drugs worth over $41 million in the Middle East, as reported by the Daily Telegraph on Saturday.
Over a 24-hour period, HMS Lancaster’s crew, in collaboration with the Royal Marines, apprehended drug smuggling vessels in the Indian Ocean, confiscating 3.7 tonnes of heroin, hashish, and crystal meth.
This operation, conducted as part of a Canadian-led task force aimed at combating criminal activities in the region, resulted in the interception of two ships suspected of drug trafficking.
Utilizing a Wildcat helicopter launched from HMS Lancaster, naval forces identified and tracked the suspicious vessels before Royal Marines were deployed to seize them.
Upon boarding, naval search teams discovered over 100 packages of drugs on the first vessel and 2.4 tonnes of hashish on the second, the Ministry of Defence confirmed. The crew of HMS Lancaster subsequently destroyed more than 2 tonnes of the confiscated drugs.
Defense Secretary Grant Shapps commended the operation as a “fantastic achievement,” highlighting the Royal Navy’s ongoing commitment to disrupting drug smuggling activities worldwide.
Commanding Officer Chris Sharp of HMS Lancaster praised the teamwork involved in the successful interceptions, emphasizing the complexity of such operations in challenging maritime environments.
Over a 24-hour period, HMS Lancaster’s crew, in collaboration with the Royal Marines, apprehended drug smuggling vessels in the Indian Ocean, confiscating 3.7 tonnes of heroin, hashish, and crystal meth.
This operation, conducted as part of a Canadian-led task force aimed at combating criminal activities in the region, resulted in the interception of two ships suspected of drug trafficking.
Utilizing a Wildcat helicopter launched from HMS Lancaster, naval forces identified and tracked the suspicious vessels before Royal Marines were deployed to seize them.
Upon boarding, naval search teams discovered over 100 packages of drugs on the first vessel and 2.4 tonnes of hashish on the second, the Ministry of Defence confirmed. The crew of HMS Lancaster subsequently destroyed more than 2 tonnes of the confiscated drugs.
Defense Secretary Grant Shapps commended the operation as a “fantastic achievement,” highlighting the Royal Navy’s ongoing commitment to disrupting drug smuggling activities worldwide.
Commanding Officer Chris Sharp of HMS Lancaster praised the teamwork involved in the successful interceptions, emphasizing the complexity of such operations in challenging maritime environments.
