HEROIN worth $80 million was seized from a fishing vessel in the Gulf of Oman by a US Coast Guard ship operating under a Bahrain-based task force.
A team from USCGC Glen Harris found 1,964kg of the drug on the boat which was sailing in international waters after departing from Chah Bahar, Iran yesterday.
The same warship, operating in support of the Combined Task Force (CTF) 150, had seized $30m worth of narcotics two days ago from another fishing vessel that departed from the same port.
Glen Harris’ previous seizure, last Monday, included 580kg of methamphetamine (locally known as shabu) and 35kg of heroin.
“We’re out here to work with regional partners and disrupt any destabilising maritime activity at sea,” said Glen Harris commanding officer Lieutenant Nick Jabs.
The ship arrived in the Middle East last year as part of a contingent of US Coast Guard cutters that are forward-deployed to the region under Patrol Forces Southwest Asia.
CTF 150 is one of four task forces that form the world’s largest multinational naval partnership, Combined Maritime Forces, headquartered in Juffair.
This year, so far, naval forces supporting CTF 150 have seized illegal drugs worth a combined estimated US street value of more than $250m.
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