Portsmouth Royal Navy warship seizes £30m of drugs in Middle East

A Royal Navy warship has swooped in on a vessel which was carrying £30m worth of illegal drugs.

HMS Lancaster, which is based in Portsmouth when not on active service, seized the one and a half tonne load of narcotics while at sea in the Middle East.

It secretly shadowed the suspect through the Arabian Sea for more than 24 hours before it struck.

It is the second bust in three months for the British frigate, which is currently in Bahrain.

A Royal Marines sniper circled overhead in a wildcat helicopter, while a boarding team of 42 Commando closed in on the drug runner in the water, in what the Royal Navy described as a pincer movement.

Peregrine drones were also deployed, providing live footage to the Lancaster’s operations room.

When onboard the dhow the team discovered 80 packages containing illicit narcotics, in a haul that came to 1,000kg of heroin, 660kg of hashish and 6kg of amphetamine.

Commanding Officer Commander Chris Chew said the success was down to the work of the 210 men and women in HMS Lancaster’s crew.

Minister for the Armed Forces Luke Pollard thanked the sailors and Royal Marines for their success.

“I congratulate the crew of HMS Lancaster on this significant seizure, which is keeping dangerous and illegal drugs off our streets,” he said.

“This operation highlights the unique role our Royal Navy contributes, working to disrupt criminal operations around the world, keeping us secure at home and strong abroad.”

HMS Lancaster is a Type 23 frigate deployed to the Middle East region on a long-term mission as part of wider efforts by the UK to provide regional maritime security and stability.

The team has even had time to rescue orphaned kittens that were found under a shipping container.