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    • More than £40m worth of cocaine seized from Royal Navy warship | UK News
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    More than £40m worth of cocaine seized from Royal Navy warship | UK News

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    More than £40m worth of cocaine seized from Royal Navy warship

    The sixth seizure by HMS Trent in 2024 means almost seven tonnes of drugs have been seized, worth £551.5 million (Photo: Royal Navy/PA)

    A Royal Navy warship has seized cocaine with a street value of more than £40 million while on patrol in the Caribbean Sea.

    In the sixth seizure by HMS Trent in 2024, almost seven tonnes of drugs worth £551.5 million have been seized.

    Commander Tim Langford described the seizure on August 8 as “another significant catch.”

    HMS Trent was alerted to a speedboat suspected of smuggling cocaine some 120 nautical miles south of the Dominican Republic.

    As an American patrol plane flew overhead, the Portsmouth-based warship approached the vessel and sent the Royal Marines and the US Coast Guard on board to intercept the ship.

    The smugglers were caught throwing sealed packages overboard to avoid them falling into the hands of the authorities.

    506kg of Class A drugs were seized and three suspected smugglers have been handed over to US authorities for prosecution.

    Cdr Langford praised the ‘successful operation with our American partners’ and added: ‘Everyone in my team can be proud of another significant catch – the sixth this year.’

    EMBARGO UNTIL 0001 SUNDAY 25 AUGUST Handout photo dated 08/08/24 of HMS Trent during a drug bust in the Caribbean Sea. The patrol vessel seized a total of 506kg of Class A narcotics worth over £40 million following a boarding operation involving Trent’s sailors, Royal Marines and embarked US Coast Guard teams. Date of issue: Sunday 25 August 2024. PA photo. See PA story DEFENCE Drugs. Photo credits should read: LPhot Matt Bradley/Royal Navy/Crown Copyright 2024/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may be used only for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or people depicted in the image, or facts stated in the caption. Reuse of the image may require further permission from the copyright holder.

    HMS Trent during a drug bust in the Caribbean Sea (Photo: Matt Bradley/Royal Navy/Crown Copyright 2024/PA)

    EMBARGO UNTIL 0001 ON SUNDAY 25 AUGUST A Royal Navy patrol vessel has seized cocaine with a street value of more than £40 million in the Caribbean Sea. Release date ??? 24 August 2024. On 8 August, HMS Trent was alerted to a speedboat suspected of smuggling cocaine approximately 120 nautical miles south of the Dominican Republic. With a US Maritime Patrol Aircraft flying overhead, the Portsmouth-based warship approached and sent Royal Marines and the US Coast Guard on board to intercept the vessel. The smugglers jettisoned their cargo during the operation, but thanks to HMS Trent’s swift response, all of the contraband was seized. The 506kg of Class A narcotics were seized and three smugglers were handed over to US authorities for prosecution. This is HMS Trent’s sixth interception this year. This brings the total amount of seized drugs to 551.5 million euros.

    Three smugglers were handed over to US authorities for prosecution (Photo: Matt Bradley/Royal Navy/SWNS)

    EMBARGO UNTIL 0001 ON SUNDAY 25 AUGUST A Royal Navy patrol vessel has seized cocaine with a street value of more than £40 million in the Caribbean Sea. Release date ??? 24 August 2024. On 8 August, HMS Trent was alerted to a speedboat suspected of smuggling cocaine approximately 120 nautical miles south of the Dominican Republic. With a US Maritime Patrol Aircraft flying overhead, the Portsmouth-based warship approached and sent Royal Marines and the US Coast Guard on board to intercept the vessel. The smugglers jettisoned their cargo during the operation, but thanks to HMS Trent’s swift response, all of the contraband was seized. The 506kg of Class A narcotics were seized and three smugglers were handed over to US authorities for prosecution. This is HMS Trent’s sixth interception this year. This brings the total amount of seized drugs to 551.5 million euros.

    As a US patrol aircraft flew overhead, the warship sent Royal Marines and the US Coast Guard on board to intercept the vessel (Photo: Matt Bradley/Royal Navy/SWNS)

    Defence Secretary Luke Pollard said: ‘This recent operation underlines the vital role the Royal Navy plays in maintaining maritime security and international law in the region.

    “We are sending a clear message to drug traffickers: nowhere is safe and we will disrupt and dismantle their operations wherever they are in the world.”

    HMS Trent, working closely with the US Coast Guard and the Joint Interagency Task Force (South), seized 6,995kg of drugs in 2024.

    The ship still patrols the waters of the Caribbean.

    The Royal Navy said the aim is to provide a reassuring presence for British overseas territories during the hurricane season – from June to November – and to stem the flow of illegal cargo through the region.

    Contact our news team by emailing [email protected].

    For more stories like this, Check out our news page.

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