Rating tells of his pride in helping to catch cocaine smugglers
A Portsmouth sailor has spoken of his pride in foiling drug smugglers in the Caribbean.
Petty Officer (AWT) Nick Stephens, from Southsea, was on board HMS Iron Duke when she intercepted a drug-running speedboat during a routine patrol.
The 28-year-old has spent 20 months with the Portsmouth frigate, where he works as the operations room manager, giving the captain the best possible tactical picture so they can act quickly.
The system worked perfectly last month when Iron Duke seized three-quarters of a ton of cocaine with a street value of 33m. PO Stephens said: 'We had a sighting of a fast-moving vessel and were told to move to intercept stations.
'Though at first it didn't seem real, the training kicked in and I was ready to do my job. With Iron Duke's helicopter circling, the vessel had no choice but to stop. It is good to know we did something positive and we can all be proud of what we achieved.'
PO Stephens lives with wife Zara and son Noah, aged two.
>> Vote in our latest web poll.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Portsmouth
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 13 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 24 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 12 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: South
