Millions of pounds of drugs have been seized in the Gulf by United Kingdom forces.
In a series of raids, the Royal Navy seized almost two-and-a-half tonnes of drugs, amounting to an incredible £10.9 million in value.
The operations were launched by HMS Montrose, with teams from the vessel searching multiple suspicious boats over the course of a number of days.
The seizure of drugs was the largest ever achieved by the ship.
MONTROSE has seized over 2400kg of illicit narcotics during back-to-back successful operations in the Arabian Sea.
These include the largest seizure by @CMF_Bahrain in almost a year, and the largest by weight ever achieved by the ship.@RoyalNavy @RoyalMarines #ReadyTogether pic.twitter.com/0QhsVpHTZD
— HMS MONTROSE (@HMSMontrose) February 17, 2021
The most recent operation saw a haul of over 2,145kg of hashish, heroin and methamphetamine being stopped from reaching their prospective destinations. Two days prior, in a separate operation, 275kg of heroin had been seized in the Arabian Sea.
Commander Ollie Hucker, Montrose’s skipper, who used to live in Southsea, said: “These interdictions have prevented significant amounts of illicit substances being sold on the streets, whilst denying criminal groups an income source often associated with the funding of terrorism.”
Commodore Dan Charlebois, commander of CTF-150, also added: “As commander of Combined Task Force 150, my team is resolute in our objective to promote security, stability and prosperity in an area which comprises some of the world’s most important shipping routes.
“This interdiction was a direct result of the collaborative effort between Task Force staff and HMS Montrose, to whose crew I send my personal thanks for their skill, determination and professionalism in a challenging environment. I look forward to future successes as we continue to work together as close partners towards our common goals.”
