The Royal Navy warship HMS Dragon has seized and destroyed ten tonnes of hash worth nearly $100 million in a record-breaking drug bust in the Persian Gulf.
In a productive 48-hour window, the Type 45 destroyer intercepted two dhows carrying a haul of illicit drugs on the notorious drug smuggling route known as the "Hash Highway."
It marks the biggest seizure of illegal narcotics ever recorded in the history of the Combined Maritime Forces, the multinational organization in charge of policing this stretch of sea.
These are the third and fourth smuggling-dhow busts for the futuristic $1.3 billion air defense destroyer in the space of a month, taking the total quantity of drugs seized to 13.3 tonnes during the first three months of the ship’s deployment.
“Seizing four hauls of this magnitude is a remarkable achievement and represents a significant dent in the pockets of criminals who seek to put these drugs onto our streets," said UK Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson. "The global narcotics network is a scourge that we are absolutely committed to tackling, as part of our commitment to security in the Gulf and across the world."
Dragon’s sailors and Royal Marines launched fast boats to halt the two dhows in two separate missions over a demanding two-day period. After barding and searching the boats, the servicemembers removed hundreds of sacks of narcotics worth more than $95 million.
Source:maritime-executive
