On September 7, UK warship HMS Lancaster (F229), operating in support of the French-led Combined Task Force (CTF) 150 seized more than 450kg of illegal drugs including heroin and hashish in the Arabian Sea.
With a street value of approximately $9.5 million this is the first narcotics seizure since the French Navy took over command of CTF 150 from the UK in July. The Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) remain committed to disrupting criminal and terrorist activities by restricting their freedom of maneuver in the maritime environment.
Capt Yannick Bossu, CTF 150 Commanding officer said, “This seizure demonstrates once again the operational effectiveness of CTF 150 and illustrates the UK and France’s commitment to maritime security alongside their regional and international partners.”
Cmdr Chris Sharp, HMS Lancaster Commanding Officer remarked, “This success again demonstrates how international partners can work together in stopping illegal maritime activity which funds terrorist activity. This was a great success shared by all those involved.”
CTF 150 is one of the five operational forces of CMF, a 38-nation maritime partnership headquartered in Bahrain. CMF strengthens the maritime security in this strategic area, by countering activities that finance terrorism and international crime. This is the twelfth time that France commanded CTF 150.
