HMAS Darwin’s rigid hulled inflatable boats approach the suspicious dhow. Image: Department of Defence
By George Obulutsa
NAIROBI, April 25 (Reuters) – An Australian warship patrolling the Indian Ocean has seized more than a tonne of heroin worth A$289 million ($268 million) from a dhow in Kenyan waters, Australia’s Defence Department said on Friday.
The frigate, HMAS Darwin, intercepted the vessel on Wednesday night 27 nautical miles east off Kenya’s port city of Mombasa and confiscated 1,023 kg (2,255 pounds) of heroin in 46 sacks hidden in bags of cement, the department’s website said.
The drugs were destroyed, the online statement said.
“This is a major heroin seizure, which has removed a major source of funding from terrorist criminal networks,” Commander Terry Morrison, HMAS Darwin’s Commanding Officer said.
Image: Department of Defence
HMAS Darwin is in the region as part of a group naval force – the Coalition Maritime Forces (CMF) – to counter piracy, militancy, smuggling and other illegal activities in an area covering the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Arabian Gulf, Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Oman.
The haul is the force’s largest ever, the CMF said.
There has been a surge in the volumes of heroin trafficked through eastern Africa in the past few years, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
Heroin is typically routed through the region – known for its porous borders and weak maritime surveillance – from Pakistan and Iran on its way to Europe.
The size and frequency of drug hauls at east Africa’s ports, airports and offshore are on the rise. More illegal narcotics were seized in the region in the first five months of 2013 than in the previous two years, the UNODC said.
This month, a Canadian battleship patrolling the Indian Ocean seized 130 kg of heroin from a dhow 100 nautical miles east of Tanzania’s semi-autonomous archipelago of Zanzibar, and last year a Canadian warship confiscated 500 kg of heroin from a dhow more than 300 nautical miles off Zanzibar.
The southwestern Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden are also used by bands of pirates from Somalia, as well as human traffickers.
CMF cooperates with the European Union’s maritime force EUNavfor in the region as well as NATO naval forces. (Reporting by George Obulutsa; Editing by Richard Lough and Louise Ireland)
President Biden has nominated Vice Admiral Linda L. Fagan to serve as Vice Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard. If confirmed, Vice Adm. Fagan would be the first female four-star...
By Andreo Calonzo (Bloomberg) Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said challenging China in the South China Sea will only lead to violence, and that he will only do so if Beijing drills...
The U.S. Navy held a decommissioning ceremony for the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) at Naval Base San Diego on Wednesday after last July’s devastating fire which...
April 16, 2021
Total Views: 3567
Sign Up Now for gCaptain Daily
Just enter your email and get hot news every morning
SIGN UP
Get the latest gCaptain articles and breaking news
Sign up for gCaptain Daily
Get the latest gCaptain articles and breaking news
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.