A Royal Navy patrol vessel has seized cocaine worth £24million after a dramatic chase off the coast of the Dominican Republic. Three crew members and the drugs, weighing more than 400kg, were taken off a smugglers' speedboat before it was sunk by the Caribbean-based patrol ship HMS Medway.
The vessel, which is believed to have come from South America, was pursued in a joint operation with a US Coast Guard law enforcement detachment and an accompanying aircraft. The National Crime Agency said the drugs seized would have been worth £24 million had they reached Britain’s streets.
The boat, which is thought to have travelled along a common smuggling route, was boarded by officers after a pursuit and found to contain several large packages of drugs, the Royal Navy said. “To secure an interdiction on our first day dedicated to this type of operation in this period has been tremendous,” said Commander Chris Hollingworth, commanding officer of Medway.
“Everyone involved demonstrated their professionalism during a challenging pursuit. It might be the first, but we’re going to make sure that it won’t be the last, and I speak on behalf of everyone here in saying this has galvanised our determination to succeed.”
The destruction of the vessel by Medway's weapons systems, which is normal for this type of operation, ensures it is no longer used for illegal activity while also providing gunnery training.
“Together with our partners on board Medway and up in the skies above us, we’re able to smash a hole in the supply chain and disrupt the movement of these harmful drugs before they have the chance to harm people at home and abroad,” Cdr Hollingworth said.
“I’m exceptionally proud of the collective effort of my ship’s company and our colleagues from the US Coast Guard for their proactive attitude and total commitment to the task.”
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