Recent seizures of illegal substances from a boat in the Arabian Sea by the British Royal Navy and its destroyer HMS Montrose totaled more than $17 million. After a demanding six-hour operation, the warship and her crew were able to take hundreds of kilogrammes of crystal methamphetamine from a tiny local ship.
A helicopter was first dispatched by the frigate’s crew to locate the potential boat. The Royal Marines from 42 Commando seized over and set sail in the turbulent waters after the boat’s movement increased the suspicion even more. The suspicious dhow was spotted and monitored by HMS Montrose’s Wildcat helicopter, according to a statement from the Navy, and the frigate ‘pounced’ after that.
The Marines’ first search turned up some narcotics, but when they probed deeper, they discovered a concealed compartment that had almost 870 kilogrammes of crystal methamphetamine. The statement continued, ‘Royal Marines from 42 Commando, the UK military’s experts in these operations, took control of the vessel in choppy conditions before sailors moved in to search the craft for any illegal cargo, while overhead the Wildcat observed proceedings and provided cover for those searching the dhow for her illicit cargo’. The illicit narcotics were valued by the National Crime Agency at almost $17 million.
‘Disrupting terrorist organisations, criminals, and their financial streams is important to keeping the UK, and rest of the globe, secure,’ said Commander Claire Thompson, in charge of the operation. Notably, HMS Montrose has been operating in the waters around West Asia since 2019. In its fifth operation so far this year, the frigate has managed to reel in drugs worth $52 million. The frigate is a member of a multinational force of 33 nations under the command of the Royal Canadian Navy, which is operating in the Gulf area to dismantle criminal and terrorist groups and their illegal activities.
Post Your Comments