£13.2m drug bust by Royal Navy-led task force in Gulf of Oman

A task force led by the Royal Navy has made a major drug seizure in the Gulf of Oman.

Hashish and methamphetamine totalling £13.2m in wholesale value were seized from a fishing vessel by US Coast Guard cutter, the Emlen Tunnell, on Tuesday. 

The cutter was patrolling regional waters in support of the Royal Navy-led Combined Task Force 150. 

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During an inspection, 4,000kg of hashish and 512kg of methamphetamine were seized in the Task Force's first drug bust of 2023.

Combined Task Force 150 (CTF 150) is one of four task forces organised under the Combined Maritime Forces, the largest international naval partnership in the world, consisting of 38 member nations and partners.

CTF 150 focuses on patrolling the Indian Ocean and the waters of the Middle East, deterring illegal activity like terrorism, drug smuggling and piracy.

"This is just the beginning of our work in delivering maritime security operations in the region to stop illicit activities and drug smuggling," said Royal Navy Captain James Byron, CTF 150 commander.

"This comes as a result of a valued partnership between CTF 150 and all partner nations in Combined Maritime Forces."

This is the eleventh time that the Royal Navy has been at the helm of the CTF 150. 

In 2021, Combined Maritime Forces seized illegal drugs worth close to $1bn (£800,000).