A Royal Navy-led task force has struck another blow against drug runners in the Middle East, seizing an impressive £17m worth of illegal drugs.
Operating as part of Combined Task Force 150 (CTF150), the US Navy destroyer USS Paul Hamilton intercepted a suspicious vessel in the northern Arabian Sea in the early hours of Friday.
Captain Jim Byron, who commands CTF150, oversaw the successful operation from his base in Bahrain. The Hamilton’s boarding team discovered and subsequently destroyed one tonne of hashish and 800 kg of methamphetamine, with a combined UK wholesale value of £17.2m.
The operation highlights the international task force’s ongoing efforts to combat drug smuggling in the region.
Since Captain Byron and his team took control of the task force in January, they have intercepted a total of £36.8m worth of illicit drugs, including over six tonnes of hashish and more than 1½ tonnes of methamphetamine.
These figures demonstrate the task force’s dedication to disrupting the drug trade in the Middle East.
CTF150 is one of four task forces operating under the Combined Maritime Forces, focusing on curbing illegal and terrorist activity across more than 2½ million square miles of ocean.
With warships from over 30 nations committed to security in the Middle East, the task force patrols the vast area to ensure the safety and stability of the region. This marks the 11th time that the Royal Navy has overseen the operation of CTF150.
Are any of the Gulf nations involved in this operation? If not, they should be – it’s their back yard.
The main supplier of drugs in the region is Hezb-Allah which they use as a means to fund their activities, the other day the Jordanian airforce took out one of their manufacturing plants inside Syria, they also took out Merhi al-Ramthan, a drug lord his wife and six children
Thanks, Farouk.
This better be one of those we just happened upon it drug bust otherwise what in the name of God are we doing there.
Who cares what you think?? What are you going to do about it anyway?
If you care to read the article instead of looking at pictures in your comics you will see why we are there🙄 now be a good lad and sod off to bed before your mum finds out your talking to strangers.
I was at an embassy do last night and the Ambassador mentioned it.
Yes GCC nations are involved.
Good link here to all of the CTF organisations where, and what they do in the Gulf, Red Sea, Indian Ocean, etc
About Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) – Combined Maritime Forces (CMF)
Gunbuster, could the Baltic States not bring something to the party and gain operational experience as well? They all operate UK furnished MCMs.
Yes but why? They have enough to do in the Baltic which , as far as MCM and Mines goes is still a live area from WW1 and WW2. They are always blowing the things up on Baltops.
Japan sends MCM units out here but they come with the equivalent of a Bay Class MCM support ship.
Operational experience and interoperability as well as a great recruitment poster for Latvian youth.
It’s telling, isn’t it, that Russia, China, N Korea, Iran and other similar regimes don’t take part in international efforts like CMF.
Hope you had a convivial time last night!
Absolutely jam packed. Bahrain VVIPS, UKMCC, some ships companies, The great and the good of the UK Expat community and others. Met a few faces I haven’t seen for a while.
What a waste, people went to great lengths to grow and produce all that hash 😥 now hash prices in Europe will increase, would be so much easier if the laws were relaxed an we could grow our own, this would reduce the ammount drugs being moved ilegally by serious criminals.
Druggie in Baghdad the other day
It never ceases to amaze me that, as in this situation, someone will stand there and risk their own lives to take videos of a drugged-up shooter. Any sensible person would be away on their toes, pronto.
Sign of the times, I’m afraid – everyone wants to record everything and put it on Ticktok, FaceTube or whatever.