HMS Montrose seizes over one tonne of illicit drugs in the Gulf of Oman
The successful operation has prevented almost £15 million worth of drugs from potentially reaching the shores of the UK.
An operation lasting almost 10-hours began when a Navy team in two Rigid Hulled Inflatable Boats boarded a suspect vessel in international waters off the coast of Oman. The team, including Royal Marines secured and searched the vessel where they seized over one tonne of illicit drugs.
This is the largest Royal Navy drugs bust since HMS Montrose seized 2.4 tonnes of illicit substances in the Arabian sea back in 2021.
The drug bust seized 663kg of heroin, 87kg of methamphetamine, and 291kg of hashish and marijuana which were brought back to HMS Montrose where they were examined and destroyed.
The warship regularly works alongside international partners which make up the 34-nation coalition CMF, which was led by the Royal New Zealand Navy at the time of the drugs bust. This leadership role has now been passed to the Pakistan Navy.
The Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) is a multinational maritime partnership, which exists to counter illicit non-state organisations or individuals.
“Through perseverance, dedication, and professionalism, HMS Montrose has denied criminal and terrorist organisations the ability to use the funds from the sale of these illegal narcotics for illicit activity.” —
Royal New Zealand Navy Captain Clark
HMS Montrose has been deployed to the region since early 2009 and is working alongside international partners as part of The Combined Maritime Forces(CMF), a multinational maritime partnership to counter illicit non-state actors.
“The crew of HMS Montrose and the staff of Combined Maritime Forces should be proud of the work they are doing; it makes a real difference” —
UK Maritime Component Commander and CMF’s Deputy Commander, Commodore Fryer
The UK is committed to targeting the smuggling of illegal substances and ensuring they do not reach the streets of Britain. The successful operation has meant that organised criminals, often associated with the funding of terrorism have been denied a source of income
“ Our enduring presence never wanes. Nine rotations into the forward deployed model, HMS Montrose remains as professional and enthusiastic as ever.” —
Commanding Officer of HMS Montrose, Commander Thompson
Read more about the Royal Navy’s successful drug busts:
