Royal Navy warship seizes £1million haul of hashish in massive drugs bust while on patrol in the Indian Ocean
- HMS Defender seized 2,500kg of hashish while on patrol in the Indian Ocean
- The illegal drugs, worth £1million, were hidden in 119 bags throughout a dhow
- It comes after the Defender’s record haul of 131kg of crystal meth in December
A Royal Navy warship has seized £1million worth of hashish while on patrol in the Indian Ocean.
The seizure of 2,500kg of the illegal drugs by HMS Defender comes just two months after it intercepted 131kg of crystal meth, worth £3.3million.
This drugs bust unfolded after the Defender, Type 45 destroyer, launched her Wildcat helicopter to begin a search for possible illegitimate marine traffic.
The crew of HMS Defender have seized 2,500kg of illegal drug hashish, worth £1million, from a fishing dhow in the Indian Ocean
HMS Defender has been operating in support of Combined Task Force 150, a multi-national force carrying out security patrols in the Gulf.
Once the Royal Marines had secured the suspicious dhow, a Royal Navy team followed and searched the vessel for illicit cargo.
The boarding party discovered 2,500kg of hashish in 119 bags hidden throughout the dhow.
Speaking after the haul Commander Richard Hewitt, the commanding officer of the Portsmouth-based ship, praised the crew for ‘ensuring maritime security’.
The Royal Navy team found the hashish in 119 bags hidden throughout the dhow when they boarded the vessel (pictured some of the drugs and HMS Defender)
The drugs bust unfolded after the Type 45 destroyer launched her Wildcat helicopter to begin a search for possible illegitimate marine traffic (pictured the dhow being approached by crew)
He said: ‘Once again Defender has been able to seize a significant amount of narcotics, reinforcing the Royal Navy’s commitment to ensuring maritime security by disrupting the operations of drug smugglers and terrorists.’
Armed Forces Minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan added: ‘Thanks to the work of HMS Defender and her crew, these drugs will never reach the street and the criminal organisations responsible will be dented financially.
‘The substantial seizures made by the Combined Task Force are testament to the seamless co-operation between our international partners that keeps our citizens safe.’
HMS Defender has been operating in support of Combined Task Force 150, a multi-national force which protects 3.2m square miles of international waters (Wildcat helicopter pictured)
LH Police Andrew Huggins is seen weighing and documenting some of the 2,500kg of illegal drugs that was seized HMS Defender
A navy spokesman said: ‘The drugs bust unfolded after Defender launched her Wildcat helicopter to begin a search for possible illegitimate marine traffic in the Indian Ocean.
‘Before long, a suspicious dhow was identified and HMS Defender sent a boarding team of Royal Marine Commandos.’
It comes after the Defender’s haul of 131kg of crystal meth in December, which was the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) largest ever.
It took CMF’s total crystal meth seizures for 2019 to 257kg, compared to only 9kg in 2018.
HMS Defender is pictured passing the Isle of Wight after leaving Portsmouth Harbour in an undated picture
CTF 150 is one of three task forces operating under CMF, a multinational naval partnership that protects 3.2 million square miles of international waters.
The 33 nations that comprise CMF share intelligence, assets and capabilities.
The UK has a long-standing maritime security presence in the Gulf and Indian Ocean. Since 1980, ships of both the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary have maintained a presence there 365 days a year.
Type 23 frigate HMS Montrose is stationed in the Gulf as part of the Royal Navy’s forward presence, ensuring peace, stability, and the free flow of trade through some of the world’s most vital shipping lanes.
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