Royal Navy intercepts £40 million worth of cocaine from Caribbean smugglers

25 August 2024 , 20:16

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Photograph: LPhot Matt Bradley/Royal Navy/Crown Copyright 2024/PA

HMS Trent confiscated half a tonne of the Class A drug from a speed boat south of the Dominican Republic earlier this month, taking its annual total of seizures to more than £550m.

A British warship has seized cocaine with a street value of more than £40m from drug traffickers in the Caribbean, the Royal Navy has said.

HMS Trent confiscated half a tonne, or 506kg, of the Class A narcotic after it intercepted a speed boat suspected to be smuggling cocaine around 120 nautical miles (138 miles/222km) south of the Dominican Republic earlier this month.

The vessel has taken close to seven tonnes of drugs worth £551m from traffickers in six busts this year.

Pic: Royal Navy

Three smugglers were handed over to US authorities for prosecution. Pic: Royal Navy

Royal Marines and US Coast Guard boarded the smugglers’ boat, supported by a US Maritime Patrol Aircraft flying overhead.

The smugglers threw their cargo overboard, but all contraband was seized and three smugglers were handed over to US authorities for prosecution, along with the drugs.

Royal Marines and US Coast Guard boarded the suspected smugglers’ boat. Pic: Royal Navy

HMS Trent’s Commanding Officer, Commander Tim Langford, said: "This successful operation with our American partners demonstrates HMS Trent’s ability to support trafficking operations in the Caribbean Sea."

"Every member of my team can be proud of another significant haul - the sixth this year."

The Royal Navy said in a statement the latest seizure underscores its "vital role in maintaining maritime security and upholding international law both at home and abroad".

"HMS Trent has now seized 6,995kg of drugs in 2024 as part of this multinational effort, working closely with the US Coast Guard and the Joint Interagency Task Force (South)," it added.

The ship will stay in the Caribbean during hurricane season (June to November) "to stem the flow of illegal cargo through the region", the Navy said.

Armed Forces minister Luke Pollard said: "We are sending a clear message to drug traffickers that nowhere is safe and we will disrupt and dismantle their operations wherever they are in the world."

Elizabeth Baker