The Royal Navy has carried out successful operations in the Caribbean Sea, intercepting smuggling speedboats and confiscating nearly £17m worth of drugs. Officials revealed the drugs were seized across two separate operations, during which HMS Trent nabbed about 200kg of cocaine and other drugs worth £16.7m. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) stated the operations were carried out by a team of British sailors, Royal Marines and a US Coast Guard working on board HMS Trent after a port visit to the island of Martinique.
Defence Secretary Grant Shapps expressed his appreciation for the work of the Royal Navy in disrupting the activities of drug traffickers. He noted it showed their commitment to dismantling drug-trafficking organisations and disrupting their operations in the region. The exceptional efforts involved led to the immediate detention of the crew, followed by the seizure of the drugs and dismantling of the smuggling network.
HMS Trent’s teams consisted of Royal Marines and sailors who pursued the speedboats and captured them before darkness fell. After a port visit to the Isle of Martinique, the team was also able to work with a US Coast Guard aircraft to track another speedboat and seize more illicit drugs. HMS Trent has undertaken numerous operations in the Caribbean since it was deployed at the end of 2023. Previous missions have resulted in the seizure of drugs valued at £221m and £70m in February and January, respectively.
The Royal Navy team members are professionals, dedicated to their duties. Commanding Officer Tim Langford said the team’s ability to move seamlessly from high-level defence engagement activity to successful boarding of operations was a testament to their dedication and professionalism. He added that the operation’s success could also be attributed to the excellent cooperation between the Royal Navy, the US Coast Guard and other partners. HMS Trent is a versatile vessel, mainly used for tackling piracy and smuggling, protecting fisheries, counterterrorism, providing humanitarian aid, and undertaking search and rescue operations, but the Royal Navy states it is also designed for border patrols and defence diplomacy.
HMS Trent had left its home port of Gibraltar early in December 2023 for Guyana, to demonstrate diplomatic and military support for the former British colony. This mission was triggered by neighbouring Venezuela’s renewed claim to a disputed part of Guyanese territory that is considered rich in oil and other minerals
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More