US stops 'al-Qaeda drugs boats'
Two Arab sailing boats carrying illegal drugs possibly linked to al-Qaeda have been seized in the northern Arabian Sea, the United States Navy says. The drugs on the wooden dhows included heroin with a street value of at least $3m, it said in a statement. Twenty-one crew members were detained during an operation by the cruiser USS Philippine Sea on Saturday. It is the second drugs haul in the region in recent days, as the US steps up efforts to tackle al-Qaeda funding. On Friday, the navy said the USS Decatur had seized almost two tons of hashish valued at up to $10m aboard a boat near the Straits of Hormuz. Of the 12 people detained in that operation, the US believes three have links to al-Qaeda. Full Story