Plymouth navy ship seizes £35 million of illegal drugs

HMS Lancaster stops boats in Middle East

A Plymouth-based Royal Navy warship has seized £35 million worth of illegal drugs in the Gulf of Oman.

Crews from Devonport frigate HMS Lancaster, disabled a drugs boat with a 'bullseye shot' to knock out a small boat's engine. 

The snipers took aim from a Wildcat helicopter launched from the warship to intercept three suspect craft in waters off the Middle East.

More than one-and-a-half tonnes of Class-A drugs were recovered, which included heroin, crystal methamphetamine and hashish with an estimated UK street value in excess of £35 million. 

Commander Sam Stephens, Commanding Officer of HMS Lancaster said: "I’m hugely proud of the team’s professionalism, patience, and skill throughout what was a protracted chase.

"This operation saw Lancaster’s crewed and uncrewed aircraft working hand-in-glove under the direction of the ship’s operations room. The outcome was a highly-successful bust, removing large quantities of narcotics from the streets and preventing their profits from fuelling extremism."