Cocaine worth over $52mn seized from Caribbean smugglers near Dominican Republic
Smugglers threw their cargo overboard but the contraband was picked up | Royal Navy
A British warship has intercepted over £40 million ($52.87mn) worth of cocaine from drug traffickers in the Caribbean, the Royal Navy has said.
The British warship HMS Trent seized 506 kilograms of the Class A drug after intercepting a speedboat suspected of smuggling cocaine approximately 120 nautical miles (138 miles or 222 km) south of the Dominican Republic earlier this month.
The operation involved Royal Marines and the US Coast Guard boarding the smuggler's vessel, with support from a US Maritime Patrol Aircraft overhead.
The British Navy said that despite attempts by the traffickers to dispose of the cargo by throwing it overboard, all of the contraband was recovered.
Three suspects were detained and handed over to US authorities for prosecution, along with the seized drugs.
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Commander Tim Langford, HMS Trent's Commanding Officer, said,"This successful operation with our American partners highlights HMS Trent's capability to support counter-trafficking operations in the Caribbean Sea."
He added, "Every member of my team should be proud of yet another significant seizure—our sixth this year."
In a statement, the Royal Navy said that the latest operation is important in maintaining maritime security and upholding international law both domestically and internationally.
HMS Trent has now confiscated a total of 6,995 kilograms of drugs in 2024, in collaboration with the US Coast Guard and the Joint Interagency Task Force (South), the Navy added.
The warship will remain in the Caribbean during hurricane season (June to November) to help curb the flow of illegal cargo 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 operate in the world," Armed Forces Minister Luke Pollard was quoted as saying by Sky News.
(With inputs from agencies)