A TOTAL of 132kg of heroin was seized by the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) in the Arabian Sea.
Her Majesty’s Australian Ship (HMAS) Warramunga boarded her third vessel in just four days, interdicting over $30 million worth of heroin.
Combined Task Force (CTF) 150, CMF’s counter-terrorism and maritime security task force, seized 12,216kg of hashish and 132kg of heroin from March 3 to 6 in the Arabian Sea.
This latest haul means that CMF has now seized over 1,600kg of heroin, worth over $380 million in less than 12 weeks.
HMAS Warramunga’s MH 60 Romeo helicopter was conducting routine aerial surveillance in the Arabian Sea when it detected a dhow.
The ship approached the dhow in international waters and upon investigation CTF 150 authorised a search of the dhow.
During that search, the boarding team located the heroin, on completion of a thorough search; the heroin was catalogued and destroyed safely at sea.
“The illicit drug trade has had a profound effect on the lives of the people in East Africa,” said CTF 150 commander Commodore Mal Wise.
“We know that heroin seizures like today’s will have a direct impact on the operations of terrorist organisations at distribution points in East Africa.
“Removing heroin from circulation reduces the funding resources available for terrorists, which then reduces their ability to inflict suffering on the communities in East Africa.”
CTF 150, as part of CMF, supported by international agencies such as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, seeks to disrupt smuggling networks transferring illicit narcotics from Central Asia, through to East Africa.
The GDN previously reported that the CTF 150 confiscated almost eight tonnes of hashish, which equalled to over $300 million, from two wooden dhows over the last three months.
The GDN also reported on February 7 that hashish worth nearly $200m was seized in the Arabian Sea by Pakistan Navy Ship Aslat while conducting routine patrols in the area.
It follows similar operations on December 28, January 2, 7 and 23, and February 1.