Royal Navy warship seizes THREE TONNES of cannabis in a major drugs bust while on patrol in the Gulf’s notorious ‘Hashish Highway’
- Royal Navy’s HMS Dragon stopped dhow boat during patrols in the Persian Gulf
- Crew undercover 148 bags containing three tonnes of hashish on board vessel
- Commanders say the money made from the drugs would have funded terrorism
A Royal Navy warship has seized three tonnes of cannabis from a boat in the Persian Gulf.
HMS Dragon uncovered the massive haul – spread between 148 bags – on a dhow boat in a stretch of water known as the ‘Hash Highway’ because of its use by drug smugglers.
Naval commanders believe profits from the huge shipment would have been used to fund terrorism.
The Royal Navy has seized a huge haul of cannabis whose sale would have funded terrorism
The crew of the HMS Dragon posed for a picture with the 148 bags of hashish
Photos show Royal Navy speed boats approaching the vessel, which was acting suspiciously
Footage from the warship shows sailors in masks forming a human chain to transfer the seemingly endless number of bags from a speedboat into a safe in the ship’s hold.
The Navy says the interception is ‘one of the most significant drugs busts in the Gulf this year’.
A spokesman said: ‘The Portsmouth-based Type 45 destroyer was on patrol in the Middle East when they came across a suspicious dhow – a type of vessel common to the Middle East – in a notorious drug smuggling route known as the “Hash Highway”.
‘Sailors and Royal Marines from HMS Dragon launched their fast boats to intercept and board the vessel, before conducting a painstaking search of its compartments.They ultimately found 148 bags of hashish, weighing around 3,048kg.’
Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said: ‘Alongside keeping key shipping channels safe, countering piracy and providing disaster relief, the Royal Navy makes a significant contribution to global security by tackling the illicit drugs trade.
‘The success of HMS Dragon’s seizure is the latest blow struck to this nefarious industry.’
The drugs haul was stowed away on this dhow in the Persian Gulf
Crew in face masks formed a human chain the transfer the 148 bags into their ship’s hold