Drugs worth $36 million seized in Arabian Sea

Manama: Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) is a multi-national naval partnership with headquarters in Bahrain has announced that Royal Australian Navy ship HMAS Arunta has seized 800 kg of hashish hidden in a consignment of coffee. Under the authority of Canadian-led and Australian supported Combined Task Force 150 (CTF-150), HMAS Arunta seized the drugs in the Arabian Sea in what was the ship’s first successful intercept since starting counter terrorism operations in December 2016.

Commander Cameron Steil, Commanding Officer HMAS Arunta described the lead-up to the dhow being intercepted: “There were numerous suspicious elements regarding this vessel and subsequently we conducted a thorough search. Narcotic smuggling is well known in this area with the smugglers always trying to find new ways to hide cargo but our boarding parties’ training, techniques and equipment are of the highest standard.”

The drugs have an estimated street value of approximately $36 million according to Australian Crime Commission figures. Commander Steil added: “Our combined efforts under CTF-150 improve the overall maritime security, stability and prosperity in the region by denying terrorist organisations their ability to move personnel, weapons or narcotics and obstructing their capacity to raise funds.” Commodore Haydn Edmundson, Commander of Combined Task Force 150 said, “It’s due to the tenacity of the ship’s captain and crew that illegal cargos like this seizure of hashish don’t make it to their final destination, and that they do not enable funding for terrorist organizations. We, the CTF 150 team, are very proud of Arunta and her fine crew.”