UK Warship Interdicts Illicit Drugs in Gulf of Oman

A United Kingdom Royal Navy frigate seized more than 6.5 tons of illicit narcotics from a fishing vessel while conducting patrols in international waters in the Gulf of Oman, March 2.

HMS Montrose (F236) was operating as part of Combined Task Force (CTF) 150, one of three task forces under Combined Maritime Forces, a 34-nation partnership headquartered in Bahrain with U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and U.S. 5th Fleet. CTF 150 conducts regional patrols to locate and disrupt unlawful maritime activity.

The seizure consisted of 6,566 kilograms of hashish, with an estimated U.S. street value of $9 million. The narcotics were confiscated and loaded aboard HMS Montrose for analysis and destruction.

“This seizure of such a huge quantity of narcotics in a single boarding is highly commendable,” said Pakistani Navy Commodore Vaqar Muhammad, CTF 150’s current commander. 

HMS Montrose is a Duke-class frigate that has been operating in the Middle East since March 2019. This is the fourth successful CTF 150-led narcotics interception of 2022.