Royal Navy intercepts £9m/$14m marijuana in Caribbean

RFA Wave Knight is a Wave Knight-class fast fleet tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. The vessels are crewed by 72 RFA personnel and there is also provision for 26 Royal Navy personnel for helicopter, weapons systems and counter-narcotics operations. RFA Wave Knight is currently assigned to the Royal Navy’s standing Caribbean deployment, Atlantic Patrol Task (North).

Wave Knight scores £9m drugs bust intercepting Caribbean smugglers

Sailors from tanker RFA Wave Knight stopped an estimated £9m of cannabis reaching the UK after intercepting a suspicious fishing vessel in the Caribbean.

The ship recovered more than £6m of cannabis bales from the ocean as the drug-runners ditched them overboard, with upwards of £3m worth of narcotics ending up on the seabed.

This is what £6.4m of cannabis looks like – and it will never reach dealers, let alone the streets of the UK after being snared by RFA Wave Knight in the Caribbean.

Upwards of £3m of the drug is thought to be resting on the seabed after the tanker gave chase to a suspicious fishing vessel, whose crew began tossing their cargo overboard.

The tanker was on patrol when she came across Miss Tiffany – and sent her sea boat off in pursuit, armed with a US Coast Guard boarding team.

When the boat reached the fishing vessel, the drug runners began ditching weighted bales of marijuana before their craft was boarded by the Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment.

Thanks to the efforts of the crew of Wave Knight’s second sea boat, some 55 of those bales were recovered and brought aboard the auxiliary.

Miss Tiffany tries – and fails – to out run the tanker

In all a haul of some 1.2 tons (1276 Kg) with a street value of around £6.4m was recovered by Team Wave Knight with an estimated further 1,200lbs (540kg) of drugs sinking before the sailors could haul the bales out of the Caribbean.

Total disruption to the drug-runners: about £9m with seven crew of the Miss Tiffany arrested and their boat handed over to Jamaican authorities.

“The entire ships company – RFA civilians, US Law Enforcement Team and Royal Navy personnel alike – as well as HQ and prosecuting staff ashore – are delighted with the result,” said Capt Chris Clarke RFA, Wave Knight’s Commanding Officer.

“Once again the joint approach to counter narcotic operations has resulted in another successful take-down.”

It’s the fourth significant bust by British naval forces in the past couple of months.

The recovered drugs are hauled aboard Wave Knight

Lancaster bagged £100m cocaine and £700,000 cannabis, while Wave Knight intercepted a drug-smuggling go-fast in a joint effort with the Dutch.

Those successes were underlined by defence secretary Philip Hammond. “The work of the Royal Navy across the globe and in particular in the Caribbean on counter-narcotics operations is vital to protecting us here at home,” he said.

“This drugs bust follows recent successful interdiction and deterrence operations by HMS Lancaster and HMS Argyll in the Caribbean which all contribute to ensuring illegal drugs do not reach our streets. I congratulate the ship’s company for their actions in this operation.”

Wave Knight’s bust came under the banner of Operation Martillo, an effort by 15 nations to stop the movement of drugs from the Central and South American region by sea or air.

https://navynews.co.uk/archive/news/item/8805

PHOTEX: Royal Navy frigate HMS Argyll port visit to Key West, Florida

130822-N-YB753-004 KEY WEST, Fla. (Aug. 22, 2013) The Royal Navy frigate HMS Argyll (F231) approaches the Mole Pier. British Royal Navy Sailors pulled into Key West for a port visit after completing counter-narcotics operations in the Eastern Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Brian Morales/Released)

130822-N-YB753-027 KEY WEST, Fla. (Aug. 22, 2013) Sailors handle mooring lines as the Royal Navy frigate HMS Argyll (F231) approaches the Mole Pier. British Royal Navy Sailors pulled into Key West for a port visit after completing counter-narcotics operations in the Eastern Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Brian Morales/Released)

HMS Lancaster seizes multi-million narcotics haul in Caribbean

HMS Lancaster, a Royal Navy Type 23 frigate, battling narcotics trafficking in the Caribbean as part of her duties assigned to Atlantic Patrol Task (North).

{cough… show of hands… old farts who still call it the West Indies guard ship…}

HMS Lancaster seizes multi-million pound cocaine haul

HMS Lancaster made the bust after the boat – concealed by a tarpaulin – was spotted by a US Customs and Border Agency aircraft in the Caribbean Sea.

HMS Lancaster in the Caribbean Sea. During the six-month deployment Lancaster will visit all of the British Overseas Territories in the region, as well as numerous Commonwealth and Caribbean nations. These visits will provide the opportunity to train with other navies as well as demonstrate the Royal Navy’s continued commitment to the region. In between visits, Lancaster will be conducting counter narcotics patrols in conjunction with the US Coast Guard but will remain at high readiness throughout the deployment to provide support and life saving assistance in the wake of a hurricane or other natural disaster. Image by LA(PHOT) Jay Allen

The Portsmouth-based frigate sped to the area and launched her Lynx helicopter and high-speed pursuit boat to intercept the 30ft vessel with three suspected smugglers on board. As Lancaster approached, the men attempted to dispose of the evidence by throwing one bale of drugs overboard, but these were quickly recovered by the boat crew.

A huge haul of well over 600kgs of cocaine will never reach the streets of the UK after a major bust by Royal Navy warship HMS Lancaster. Image by LA(PHOT) Jay Allen

A total of 22 bales of pure cocaine were seized along with the three men on board who, ultimately, were fully compliant with the Royal Navy and US Coastguard team. The suspected smugglers and cocaine were then handed over to the Coast Guard Cutter Sapelo and then the authorities in Puerto Rico.

The empty drugs boat was subsequently sunk by Royal Navy gunfire to prevent its use in future smuggling operations.

A huge haul of well over 600kgs of cocaine will never reach the streets of the UK after a major bust by Royal Navy warship HMS Lancaster. Image by LA(PHOT) Jay Allen

Secretary of State for Defence Philip Hammond MP said: “This extraordinary quantity of drugs has been stopped from reaching the streets by the swift actions of the Royal Navy, working closely with the US Coastguard. This is HMS Lancaster’s second counter narcotics patrol in the Caribbean to tackle the drugs trade and the entire ship’s company should be proud of this remarkable achievement.

“This is another example of the skills and capability that mean our Armed Forces are held in high regard by our partners around the world.”

HMS Lancaster is on patrol with a team from the US Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment as part of a multi-national effort to combat drug smuggling in the Caribbean.

HMS Lancaster’s Commanding Officer, Commander Steve Moorhouse, said: “This is a great result not only for Lancaster but also everyone involved in the multi-national effort to stem the flow of drugs in the region.

“My ship’s company can be incredibly proud of what they have achieved, their professionalism and teamwork continue to shine, and our close relationship with our partner nations and law enforcement agencies is proving to be hugely successful.”

This is the ship’s third success in as many weeks and follows on from the seizure of a shipment of marijuana with a street value of up to £700,000 and the stopping of another craft with a significant amount of cocaine and heroine on board.

Able Seaman James Duffy, the coxswain of one of Lancaster’s sea boats, and who is from the city of Lancaster, said: “We have all trained really hard to get where we are and have a fantastic relationship with the US coast guard guys. It is an amazing feeling to get such a great bust and stop millions of pounds worth of cocaine hitting the streets.”

The Portsmouth-based Type 23 frigate is on her second counter narcotics patrol of the Caribbean region and will continue to combat the illicit smuggling of drugs until the end of the year.

These patrols are part of Operation Martillo, a 15-nation collaborative effort to deny transnational criminal organisations air and maritime access to the littoral regions of Central America; and focus on putting a stop to the illegal movement of drugs from South America into the Caribbean and onwards to the UK. Over the past year the US Coast Guard has seized 20,500kg of cocaine and 8,500lbs of marijuana during 22 law enforcement interceptions.

A huge haul of well over 600kgs of cocaine will never reach the streets of the UK after a major bust by Royal Navy warship HMS Lancaster. Image by LA(PHOT) Jay Allen

Counter narcotic operations with the USA and other partner nations is one of a range of tasks HMS Lancaster is conducting across the Caribbean in support of British interests. Others include providing reassurance and security for British Overseas Territories and the provision of humanitarian aid and disaster relief during the core hurricane season.

The Royal Navy contributes to counter narcotics across the globe whether it be cannabis and cocaine in the Caribbean or intercepting insurgent heroin traffic using its Sea King Air Surveillance helicopters in Afghanistan.

Mk8 Lynx from 815NAS 202Flt carry out winching training. During the six-month deployment Lancaster will visit all of the British Overseas Territories in the region, as well as numerous Commonwealth and Caribbean nations. These visits will provide the opportunity to train with other navies as well as demonstrate the Royal Navy’s continued commitment to the region. In between visits, Lancaster will be conducting counter narcotics patrols in conjunction with the US Coast Guard but will remain at high readiness throughout the deployment to provide support and life saving assistance in the wake of a hurricane or other natural disaster. Image by LA(PHOT) Jay Allen

http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/News-and-Events/Latest-News/2013/August/14/130814-Lancaster-drug-haul

USS Rentz seizes $78 million in cocaine

The USS Rentz (FFG-46) is an Oliver Hazard Perry class frigate based at Naval Base San Diego.

One of only 13 vessels in her class still in commission (out of 71 built!), the Retnz is scheduled to decommission in 2014.

Frigate Rentz seizes $78M in cocaine

The Rentz is one of only five frigates that are still stationed in San Diego. navy.mil

A San Diego-based warship has seized cocaine worth about $78 million — just one week into its latest drug-busting operation.

The frigate Rentz deployed from Naval Base San Diego on July 25 for the seven-month campaign called Operation Martillo (Spanish for “hammer”).

The frigate’s crew wasted no time in starting their latest mission in the Eastern Pacific and Caribbean.

Less than a week on station in the 4th Fleet area of responsibility, servicemen seized 2,123 pounds of cocaine from a fishing vessel north of the Galapagos Islands.

“We are very fortunate to have the Rentz and embarked Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment on patrol conducting counter transnational organized crime operations,” said Rear Adm. Sinclair M. Harris, commander of the U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/4th Fleet.

“This major seizure in the first week the ship is on station is a clear indicator that illicit activities are taking place and must be addressed to counter their destabilizing affects in the region and in our nation.”

Operation Martillo targets illicit trafficking routes in coastal waters along the Central American isthmus, and is an international, interagency operation led by Joint Interagency Task Force-South, a component of U.S. Southern Command.

During last week’s operation, the Rentz worked closely with a Navy P-3 Orion long-range patrol aircraft to detect and intercept the fishing vessel suspected of smuggling narcotics in international waters.

The U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment team aboard the frigate discovered and confiscated the cache of cocaine shortly after boarding the vessel.

Since Operation Martillo started in January 2012, 318,133 pounds of cocaine and 25,052 pounds of marijuana worth an estimated $40 billion have been confiscated.

As well as targeting drug runners in the waterways, the Rentz will also take part in the annual multinational UNITAS maritime exercise next month.

This exercise will be conducted in the Southern Caribbean Sea off the coast of Colombia with naval forces from Colombia, Brazil, Peru, Chile, Honduras, the Dominican Republic, the United Kingdom and Canada.

The Rentz is an Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided-missile frigate.

http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/aug/16/rentz-cocaine-interdiction/

Thieves? Pirates? Terrorists? Owners warned of illegal boarders on Suez Canal transits

Thieves? Pirates? Terrorists? With the current instability in Egypt, and despite assurances to the contrary, this is a worrying prospect.

Owners warned of illegal boarders on Suez Canal transits

Crew members on vessels calling at Egyptian ports have reportedly been approached by mysterious persons seeking to board, referring to themselves only as “businessmen”.

The individuals seek passage on vessels through the Suez Canal, and, it is suspected, to engage in theft, piracy, or other unlawful activities while onboard. Crews transiting the canals and calling at Egyptian ports have been advised to remain vigilant, with continuous deck watch necessary to ensure the safety of vessel and crew.

“A vessel should not allow any unidentified persons to board,” Skuld said in a circular to members. “If persons seek to board the vessel, and they do not possess proper identification / authorisation then the Master should not permit them to come on board. In case of concern or threats, the Master should seek to alert local authorities and also the Club’s correspondents for further immediate assistance.”

http://www.seatrade-global.com/news/middle-east-africa/owners-warned-of-illegal-boarders-on-suez-canal-transits-skuld.html

Panama intercepts illegal North Korea arms shipment to Cuba

Hidden behind sacks of sugar. Ye gods! Straight out of a B-movie.

Panama Seizes North Korea-Flagged Ship for Weapons

The Panamanian authorities have seized a North Korean-flagged ship traveling from Cuba through the Panama Canal that was carrying “undeclared military cargo,” and Panama’s president said late Monday that the cargo was presumably “sophisticated missile equipment.”

The president, Ricardo Martinelli said in a radio interview that the illegal cargo was found in two containers hidden behind a large shipment of sugar. In a Twitter posting he included a photo of what looked like a green tubular object in a container.

The United Nations has imposed broad sanctions on North Korea that seek to curtail its ability to export and import weaponry, particularly missile components and technology. Earlier this month, the United States blacklisted a general in Myanmar, Thein Htay, for buying military goods from North Korea.

American officials say that North Korea’s arms trade has helped finance the country’s nuclear and missile ambitions. In February, North Korea carried out its third nuclear test, a detonation that led to a tightened round of sanctions imposed by the United Nations and supported by North Korea’s longtime ally and benefactor, China.

In his remarks on Radio Panama, Mr. Martinelli said the ship was headed to North Korea and that the captain tried to commit suicide during the episode.

The president said the ship would undergo a thorough inspection to look for weapons being transported illegally through the Panama Canal. The 35 North Koreans on board were being detained after they resisted efforts to take the ship to the Caribbean port of Manzanillo.

“We’re going to keep unloading the ship and figure out exactly what was inside,” he said. “You cannot go around shipping undeclared weapons of war through the Panama Canal.”

Mr. Martinelli’s remarks about the cargo possibly containing missile components have not been independently verified.

The seizure comes as Panama and South Korea, the North’s sworn enemy, have been strengthening ties and exploring a possible free trade agreement.

www.nytimes.com/2013/07/17/world/americas/panama-seizes-north-korea-flagged-ship-for-weapons.html

Yemen intercepts illegal arms shipment in Red Sea

Good to see Yemeni authorities policing their own patch. CTF-150 can’t be everywhere and alliés locaux must actively support the international mission.

New illegal weapon cargo is apprehended off the coast of Yemen

The authorities confirmed on Sunday that the armed forces managed to successfully apprehend a ship traveling off the coast of Yemen with on board an illegal cargo of weapons.

The Supreme Security Committee told the press on Sunday that the ship had been intercepted as it was entering Yemen territorial waters near the island of Zoqar in the Red Sea.

Prior inspections showed that the weapons are Turkish-made.

An official was quoted by Saba, the state news agency as saying, “The seized weapons were planned to reach its destination inside the country after being unloaded in an island of the Hunish Archipelago via small boats and then to the Yemeni coasts.”

An investigation has been launched into the incident to determine who the cargo was intended to and more importantly the identity or identities of those responsible for loading the ship with illegal weapons in the first place.

The matter is bound to strike a nerve with Turkey as it has been earlier this year, in January accused of meddling within Yemen internal affairs by providing military equipment and weapons to dissident groups, after several illegal weapon-cargo bearing alleged links to Ankara were intercepted by the Yemeni authorities.

The Turkish government had to work really hard to dispel doubts.

Whether the shipment was being sent to Yemen to be later on moved to another location has yet to be determined. Security analysts have increasingly warned that the impoverished nation is being used as a by-pass country for traffickers.

Yemen Post Staff

http://yemenpost.net/Detail123456789.aspx?ID=3&SubID=7027