U.S.-led naval forces said they seized about 1.3 tons of hashish on a boat near the mouth of the Gulf Friday, the third interception of drugs in two weeks in what they said was a suspected al Qaeda smuggling operation. They detained 15 people in the dhow, a traditional wooden cargo boat, carrying drugs with a street value of $11 million in the northern Arabian Sea, a U.S. Central Command statement said. U.S. officials said last week 10 suspects seized since December 15 from boats carrying drugs in the Gulf region were sent to a U.S. base in Afghanistan for questioning amid mounting American concern about al Qaeda involvement in drug trafficking. “These 10 were transferred after initial interrogations revealed possible al Qaeda affiliations deemed noteworthy enough to pursue further,” the statement said. “Intelligence gained from those interrogations and documents discovered onboard the detained dhows led to this third operation.” Full Story
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