The British Royal Navy has reportedly seized more than one ton of illegal drugs worth almost $20.3 million from the Gulf of Oman. The operation allegedly lasted almost three hours and occurred on Sunday. The UK Ministry of Defence issued a statement concerning the operation, which took place in international waters off the coast of Oman. This marks the largest Royal Navy drug bust since last year. The drugs seized included heroin, methamphetamine, and marijuana. A team from Montrose reportedly approached a small vessel on two Rigid Hulled Inflatable Boats, collected, analyzed, and subsequently destroyed the drugs. The HMS Montrose has been deployed to the region since early 2019, according to the Ministry of Defence.
The warship works with international partners to cooperate on drug busts. The international partners include the 34-nation coalition Combined Maritime Forces, which was led by the Royal New Zealand Navy at the time of the operation. Since then, leadership has been passed onto the Pakistan Navy. The successful operation brought down a shipment that may have been headed for the UK and sold on British soil. In addition, organized criminals have been denied a source of income as a result of the massive drug bust.
Read More: UK Royal Navy seizes more than $20 million worth of drugs in Gulf of Oman
