A MARITIME task force based in Bahrain has seized tonnes of hashish from three ships since the start of the year.
This was revealed by Fifth Fleet Commander Vice Admiral James Malloy, who said the Combined Task Force 150 (CTF150) had dealt a big blow to drug smugglers by conducting four separate boardings.
“In the first half of 2020, three ships operating as part of CTF150 seized 8,045kg of hashish in four separate raids,” he said.
He was speaking during the opening of the 2020 Maritime Security Conference hosted by the Combined Maritime Force (CMF) at its Bahrain headquarters.
“We may not all be meeting in person, as we’re acclimatising to new norms for meetings and how we communicate, but the participation of 34 member nations and partners is proof of our shared commitment to maritime security and freedom of navigation,” said Vice Adm Malloy, who is also the CMF commander.
The annual event was attended by 39 participants from across the globe who joined virtually due to the global pandemic.
Participants from Bahrain included Coastguard Commander Major General Ala’a Siyadi and Royal Bahrain Naval Forces Commander Rear Admiral Yousef Al Asam, the latter attending in person.
The agenda of the event that concluded on Tuesday included discussions on maritime security and how CMF will continue its mission to counter illicit non-state actors from engaging in piracy, drugs, and weapons smuggling, people trafficking, illegal fishing and terrorism in the region.
“From 12 nations and one mission, to 33 nations and three missions, each new member and each year brings greater capacities, strength, and commitment to our coalition,” said Vice Adm Malloy.
“CMF continues to stand out as a shining example of a true coalition of the willing – formed around and dedicated to the ideals of promoting and defending maritime security – and protecting and allowing for legitimate trade and commerce.”
CMF deputy commander Commodore Dean Bassett said they wanted nations to work together to “ensure our forces remain scalable, flexible and responsive to an increasingly complex, diverse and dynamic operating environment”.
The CTF150 conducts counter-terrorism and maritime security operations under the CMF and has been instrumental in seizing tonnes of drugs in the past few years from suspicious dhows sailing in the Arabian Sea.
The GDN reported earlier the task force made its first drug bust in January after a crew from French Ship (FS) Courbet operating under it seized hashish worth $780,000 from a vessel in the Arabian Sea.
The team was able to uncover 1,500kg of hashish hidden among unused fishing gear.
The same month, Royal Navy’s HMS Defender also operating under the task force seized 2,500kg of hashish in 119 bags hidden in a dhow was seized with an estimated value of $1.3 million.
The third operation was registered in February when the crew from HMS Montrose spotted a suspicious dhow and later seized 1,045kg of hashish worth an estimated regional wholesale value of $538,860.
The task force had a successful 2019 as navy units operating under it made 33 seizures of narcotics with a regional wholesale value totalling more than $48m.
Among the interceptions was the largest amount of crystal meth (257kg) ever seized in CMF history, against only 9kg in 2018.
In 2018, the CMF warships had reportedly seized narcotics worth over $75m.
Narcotics smuggling in the region is linked to major criminal networks and terrorism.
The CMF monitors some of the world’s busiest shipping lanes and spans more than two million square miles, covering the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Oman.
sandy@gdn.com.bh
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