Royal Navy seizes £33m worth of illegal drugs from Middle East in two busts within 24 hours

The Royal Navy has seized 3.7 tonnes of illegal drugs from traffickers in the Middle East with an estimated street value of £33m.

Heroin, hashish and crystal meth were among the seized 3.7 tonnes of drugs. Pic: MoD

HMS Lancaster seized heroin, hashish and crystal meth from two separate vessels in the Middle East within 24 hours, in what has been described by Defence Secretary Grant Shapps as a “blow to criminal networks”.

The Royal Navy ship was on the very first day of her security patrol after a period of training when her Wildcat helicopter intercepted a suspicious vessel, kickstarting an eight-hour operation.

The warship, which will be working with regional allies to ensure the security and safety of merchant shipping, was operating as part of the Canadian-led Combined Task Force 150, which helps tackle criminal activity across the region.

HMS Lancaster seized illicit drugs worth almost £33m while patrolling waters off the Middle East. Pic: MoD

Thanks to Royal Marines from 42 Commando securing the vessel, Lancaster’s sailors were able to board it and after a thorough search, nearly 100 packages containing heroin and crystal meth were found.

Shortly after, the Wildcat helicopter, from 815 Naval Air Squadron, was out again sweeping the Indian Ocean.

The aircrew came across another suspicious vessel, prompting the ship to start tracking it throughout the night.

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Come the morning, commandos boarded and secured the vessel and upon the sailors joining for a search, 2.4 tonnes of hashish were recovered during the six-hour operation.

It brought the total haul from both operations to 3.7 tonnes. More than two tonnes of the illegal drugs have now been destroyed.

According to the National Crime Agency, the drugs had an estimated street value of just under £33m.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said: “The fantastic achievements of the crew of HMS Lancaster and Royal Marine commandos in the Indian Ocean shows the important role our Navy plays policing the oceans. Their relentless effort and professionalism have dealt another decisive blow to criminal networks.

“Following HMS Trent’s similar success in seizing a substantial amount of drugs on the other side of the world, the Royal Navy continue to lead the UK’s commitment to disrupting drug smugglers across the globe.”

The commanding officer, commander Chris Sharp, said: “I am exceptionally proud of the entire team in Lancaster executing these two interdictions on the first two days of our deployment.

“Complex interceptions like these in such a challenging environment require true teamwork across the entire ship’s company. This success is shared with our partners in CTF 150 who provided essential support to the operation.”