HMS Lancaster Makes Multi-Million Caribbean Drugs Bust

HMS Lancaster Makes Multi-Million Caribbean Drugs Bust

Sailors from HMS Lancaster have dealt a further blow to the drugs trade after seizing cannabis and cocaine with a combined street value of £58m while on operations in the Caribbean.

The two incidents came just days after each other – with Lancaster recovering cocaine weighing over 400kg and almost 1.2 tonnes of marijuana during the high-tempo operation.

At a wholesale or ‘pure’ price, the cocaine would be worth just over £17m and the cannabis around £1.1m – but at street level, where it could be expected to be cut several times over, the values increase significantly to nearer £58m.

Minister of State for the Armed Forces, Mark Francois said:

“I visited HMS Lancaster earlier this year as the ship’s company prepared for their deployment so I’m pleased to hear of the ship’s fourth major drugs bust in as many weeks.

“We should be extremely proud of HMS Lancaster’s actions in the Caribbean and efforts to disrupt the supply of illegal, life-destroying drugs.

“This is another fantastic success for the ship’s company, their constant hard work and professionalism is a great international advert for the Royal Navy and our country. “

The call to intercept suspected traffickers came from a Canadian tanker which had spotted a speedboat in the Western Caribbean.

Lancaster quickly launched her Lynx helicopter – of 815 Naval Air Squadron, based in Yeovilton – to pursue the fast moving vessel causing the suspected drug runners to dump their contraband over the side.

A Royal Marine sniper in the helicopter disabled the speedboat by shooting a hole in the engine enabling the US Coastguard team on the Canadian tanker Preserver to apprehend those onboard as Lancaster collected the suspected drugs from the sea before they sank.

Lancaster with her embarked US Coastguard team successfully hauled 17 large packages of contraband out of the water which was tested to be pure cocaine.

The drugs would have a street value in the UK of around £55m.

Commander Steve Moorhouse, HMS Lancaster’s Commanding Officer, said:

“This is another fantastic result for Lancaster – and the multi-national counter-narcotics effort as a whole.

“The level of cooperation that exists between units and nations working with the Joint Interagency Task Force is second to none and hopefully this bust will make those who choose to smuggle narcotics in the region think twice.”

Just days earlier, the Portsmouth-based warship recovered marijuana weighing almost 1.2 tonnes in treacherous conditions after being ditched by a speedboat.

In the middle of a violent thunder storm, the crew had to work fast to recover the 45 packets of contraband before they sank or floated away.

During a patrol, Lancaster’s helicopter spotted a suspect vessel and started monitoring her movement. As soon as the speedboat saw them, they started to ditch the drugs and increased speed. An all night game of cat-and-mouse then ensued, using all the available intelligence assets.

As soon as the speedboat entered Costa Rican waters they were arrested by the authorities who were waiting for their arrival.

The cocaine seizure is HMS Lancaster’s sixth drugs bust of her deployment. During September £3.5m of marijuana was intercepted, £100m of cocaine was seized in August as well as £700,000 of cannabis and the ship also significantly disrupted marijuana and heroin trafficking.

Lancaster operates with a team from the US Coast Guard who conduct interdiction and apprehension operations of illegal drug traffickers on the high seas.

The ship is on her fourth counter-narcotics patrol of the Caribbean region this deployment, and will continue to combat the drugs trafficking until the end of the year.

Her patrols are part of Operation Martillo, a combined effort by 15 nations to prevent criminal organisations from moving goods by air or sea in Central America, and stopping drugs trafficking from South America to the Caribbean and on to the UK.

In addition to her counter-narcotics patrols, Lancaster is on hand to support British overseas territories in the region, in particular to provide humanitarian aid and disaster relief during the hurricane season.

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Press Release, October 11, 2013; Image: Royal Navy